Nothing is Ever that Simple
by LetitiaRichards
Summary: Will a stupid accident put an end to SG1 as we know it? Part 2 of the epilogue. The story is now complete.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, here you are folks another new story as promised. I hope you enjoy this one._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

Category: Angst; Drama; Hurt/Comfort; Romance.

Warnings: Lots of mental angst and a little Jack whumping.

Pairings: Jack/Sam.

Season: 5, just after Desperate Measures.

Spoilers: None in particular, except Desperate Measures.

Summary: Will a stupid accident bring an end to SG-1 as we know it?

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1. Wish I did, but I don't. Not making any money from this, just having a little fun with the characters. No copyright infringements intended.

NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE

By Lingren.

Chapter 1 – A Kiss Too Far.

He took another swig from the beer bottle and savoured the taste as it tingled his taste buds. He swallowed and smacked his lips. 'Oh yeah!' he sighed, snuggling back into the soft cushions of the sofa. It was so good to be home again, and certainly better than the infirmary. His shoulder still hurt like the sonovabitch but it wasn't anything he hadn't put up with before.

Aliens were always poking him full of holes!

He remembered saying that to Sam a few years ago when he was lying in the infirmary with another hole in his arm. Caused that time by a wicked looking arrow made of Trinium.

This time though, it hadn't been an alien that had caused the problem; although sometimes he thought Maybourne was one. The SOB had shot him. Twice. Lucky for him though he had been wearing a vest otherwise he would be keeping Charlie company in the afterlife right now. Janet had pointed out that the vest had been the only thing between this world and the next. The bullet had lodged in the dark fibres of the Kevlar vest right about where his heart would have been. Hell, he could still feel the bruising there when he moved too suddenly.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. The next time he saw that weasel Maybourne, he was sooo gonna kick his ass. He knew he shouldn't have trusted him. Now, thanks to the little runt's interference, there was a Goa'uld loose on Earth, and he was out of action for the time being. He hated to think about what far-reaching little scheme the two of them were dreaming up between them.

He sat and fumed in frustration, bringing the bottle up to his lips again, the next mouthful of the dark liquid was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell.

He finished swallowing, draining the rest of the beer in the bottle in one mouthful in defiance of the urgent ringing before he stood stiffly to answer the door, and swore that if it was Daniel again, he would in no uncertain terms kick him out. The man took the phrase 'mother-henning' to new heights. All he wanted was some peace and quiet to recover. He was sooo gonna...

"Carter?"

Colonel Jack O'Neill stood there, mouth agape, eyebrows raised in surprise to see his 2IC standing on his doorstep. "Ah..."

"Sir? Can I come in for a minute?" she asked.

"Ah...sure," Jack replied, recovering his wits and stepping back to allow her entrance. She was supposed to have gone to her brother's house in San Diego for a week to recover after her ordeal. He noticed that her eyes were still red rimmed and that she looked like hell.

He waved his good arm in the direction of his lounge and asked her if she wanted a beer.

"Yes sir. Beer's fine."

"Okay," he sighed, heading for the kitchen.

He took out two bottles from the supply of Guinness in the fridge and flipped their tops into the trash in passing. He stepped down into the room and handed one to Sam Carter while he took a swig from the other. His eyes were fixed on his subordinate, wondering why she was there.

Her eyes drifted upwards briefly from her precariously perched position on the edge of the sofa, not locking eyes with the dark hooded ones of her commander. She looked everywhere but at him.

"Em... How's the shoulder sir?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. She played with the condensation on the outside of the bottle, and Jack was quick to notice her fragile emotions were running close to the surface. It looked as if she could crack at any minute.

In a way he had expected her to have some sort of reaction after her kidnapping ordeal. 'Was this why she was here?' he wondered.

His nonchalant shrug was one sided and accompanied with a wince, not that Sam would have noticed anyway, she had yet to look directly at him.

"It's..." he began, realising that he couldn't lie to her of all people. "...still sore, but I'll live. It's not the first time I've been shot y'know Carter."

"Really?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her nerves. "I mean...yes sir," she stuttered as she realised what she'd sounded like.

Jack sighed softly, wondering where this was going.

"Carter, why are you here? And don't tell me it was to ask how I was, 'cause I know you. What's up?"

Sam sniffed a few times, batting angrily at the tears now leaking down her face.

Jack didn't need to know what was eating her. He just knew. He put out his left hand and pulled her gently to her feet and enfolded her in his arms as comfortably as he could manage.

"C'mere Sam. C'mon, let go of it, let it all out!" he whispered encouragingly, rocking her slightly in the process. His lips automatically pressed a kiss into her blonde hair while he could feel her shudder with sobs against his chest. It wasn't often that Major Sam Carter gave into her feelings, but with all she had been through, he wasn't in the least surprised it had her all been too much, even for her.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there, he, holding her steady while she clung to him like there was no tomorrow. He felt so protective of her; his heart ached for her misery.

He loved her with every ounce of his heart and soul, but the body thing would have to wait, this wasn't the time or the place. He hung on to his emotions with a tight rein; it would be so easy to let it all go and just... take her. He wouldn't though on principle. He was a man of honour and integrity; an officer and a gentleman despite his reputation as a hard ass.

He didn't hold to every single regulation; and had several black marks against him for breaking the rules, but this was one regulation he would uphold. It was more than his career on the line that held him to it; it was Sam Carter's career too. She had so much to offer the USAF; much more than he had. He couldn't ruin her chances of promotion; he would never stand in her way. She had the ability to go far; much further than he would ever attain; he was too old and cynical and a pain in the ass for too many of the top brass to better his rank.

Sam had quietened, conscious of the gentle caresses that Jack was giving her, whether he knew he was doing it or not; it felt sooo good. She had calmed down now, feeling safe in his arms. Her heart wanted more and over-ruled her head this time. She leaned back to look into his dark eyes, seeing the affection in them, she took this for permission.

Before Jack could react, Sam had pressed her lips to his and deepened the kiss when he responded to the caress without thought.

Both were caught up in the ecstasy of the moment; the kiss, a release of pent up emotions in both of them. Jack pulled her tighter against him and she could feel his arousal, insistent yet gently pressing against her thigh.

Like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her, Sam realised with horror what she had done. She pulled away as if she had been burned and her hand flew to her mouth. She could still feel the tingle of his lips against hers, but instead of euphoria, they brought a reminder that what she had done was wrong on so many counts.

Jack too realised too late that he had been led astray by his feelings towards Sam and had almost ended in something he would never be able to put behind him. He had wanted her. Craved her body like nothing he had experienced before. He stood looking down at his feet; a deep frown of disgust in himself for his reactions to her simple need for comfort, and that he'd taken advantage of that need. He should have known better. He was her superior officer; it was up to him to stop them from surrendering to their feelings. It was all his fault that she now stood there in shock; her dazzling blue eyes wide in horror and something he took to be loathing and abhorrence.

"Oh god...I...I" Sam stuttered but couldn't utter the words that would exonerate him from any guilt he should have felt. She was so upset over pushing him into almost crossing that line.

"Carter! Please...I..." he began but the words died in his throat.

Before he could fully form the necessary words and apologise, she had turned and fled his house, and by the time he had recovered his shocked senses, she was driving away and he stood by helplessly watching her disappear down the road.

"Crap!" he cried, slamming the door shut and leaning his back against it. He drove the side of his clenched fist backwards into the wood at his back and ignored the pain from the useless action. His eyes turned heavenward, wondering how he was going to undo this. Sam was obviously shocked by his lack of control and had run from him like a frightened child. She would never trust him again, so there was only one thing for it. He would have to resign. He would retire and move to the cabin.

With bitter resignation, he pushed himself away from the door, shaking his now throbbing hand to step back down into his lounge, seeking out the phone. He hit the speed dial for the SGC and General Hammond in particular.

It picked up within a minute of being put through.

"Hammond!" the General barked out. 'Obviously something had just crawled up his ass and bitten his CO,' Jack thought, judging by the abrupt tone.

"Jack O'Neill, Sir. I just wanted to inform you that I'll be heading up to my cabin tomorrow. I'll only be gone a few days sir. I have to report to Doc Fraiser on Monday morning."

What he didn't add was that on Monday the General would also be handed his letter of resignation. It was time for him to go; to get out before he did anything else he might regret.

"You sure you can drive okay Jack? Didn't Dr. Fraiser say to take it easy?"

"I will sir. I...er...I just need to get away for a few days." 'Preferably as far away from Carter as I can. I need to think things over and I can't do that while she's anywhere in the vicinity,' he added silently.

"I can arrange a flight Jack. It'll be easier..."

"I'll be fine sir. No need to bother. See you on Monday General."

"God speed Colonel and take it easy!"

"Yes sir!"

Jack replaced the phone then picked up the empty bottle and the two that were still half full and carried them into the kitchen.

He had packing to do.

TBC


	2. Escape

_Glad to see you're enjoying this so far. Sorry, but this is another one of my angsty chapters. Let me know what you think...I do so appreciate your comments._

_Thanks to all of you who reviewed this to date._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

Jack replaced the phone then picked up the empty bottle and the two that were still half full and carried them into the kitchen.

He had packing to do.

Chapter 2 – Escape.

Sam drove hard and as fast as she dare, acutely aware that getting caught speeding by the cops wasn't going to go down well with General Hammond. All she wanted to do though was get home. To get away from her shame. The all encompassing embarrassment of what she had done to commanding officer.

She knew Jack had feelings for her, but they had dutifully left it in that room months ago and never mentioned it since. Never in a million years had she suspected it would be so easy to seduce him. And all for what? She certainly hadn't meant to lead him on like that; but the undeniable fact was that he was obviously still attracted to her. In a way it was enlightening and made her feel good, but the fact remained, she should never have kissed him. Where had it left their working relationship? Could they still work on the same team now? She couldn't see it. He would be well within his rights to press charges against her.

She felt her cheeks flame up at the very thought of what he would have to say or do when they met up again. How could she face him?

Pulling up onto her driveway, she all but leapt from the car, slamming the door behind her and flipping the remote to lock it as she quickly headed indoors.

Grabbing a beer from the fridge, she flopped down on the sofa and tried hard not to recall the delicious feel of his lips on hers, or his strong arms surrounding her, pulling her closer...

"Arghhhh!" she cried out in frustration, trying to release a little of the tension she felt inside. It didn't help much. "I am a first class idiot!" she yelled to the empty room.

After draining the beer, she stood and hurried over to the desk in the corner and fired up her computer. There was no other way round it. She would have to put in for a transfer off the team. She couldn't stay on SG-1 any longer; not now. This was all her fault so she should be the one to stand down. That is...if the General didn't have her removed from the programme altogether after he discovered the truth.

She quickly typed out her letter, requesting that she be assigned to another team for personal reasons. Then she typed out a much harder letter to Colonel O'Neill, apologising for her earlier actions, and stating that she had asked General Hammond to transfer her to another team to save him any further embarrassment.

Having rewritten it several times, she now breathed a sigh of relief. She printed it off and folded it inside a plain while envelope then wrote his name on the front, intending to deliver it on Monday morning first thing.

Only slightly mollified by the thought that she would save his career, and hopefully hers too, if he didn't report her to the General, she relaxed by taking a long soak in the bath tub. It was a rather pathetic hope that it might wash away her embarrassment and shame. With the music blaring loudly from down the hall to drown out her own thoughts, she never heard the phone ringing.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack threw his overnight bag onto the back seat of the truck and climbed in rather stiffly and painfully behind the wheel. He could still feel the shame colour his cheeks at his stupid hormonal reactions. What was he... a teenager, for cryin' out loud?

He'd tried several times to phone Sam, but to no avail; she just wasn't answering his calls. He wanted to say so much to her. Apologise firstly, then tell her that he still cared for her, deeply, and that what he was about to do would save her the agony of having to face him again; though that could go for him too.

He loved her, but he couldn't pluck up the courage to say it to her in so many words. That's why he had a letter tucked into the pocket of his jacket. He would deliver it to her door, but wouldn't knock to save her further embarrassment. He'd just leave it for her to find in the morning.

It was early still. Having spent a restless night tossing and turning, his unsettled thoughts had driven him from his bed far too early. He didn't mind though, it was going to be a long drive to Minnesota, so he set off around 04:30 hrs., delivering the letter just fifteen minutes later.

The highway stretched before him, almost empty at this time of the morning. The sun was only just peeping over the horizon as he headed north east. He shoved a CD into the player and the truck was filled with the strains of Giacomo Puccini's, Madam Butterfly. The tragic tale as well as the mournful music just about summed up how he was feeling right then; love, loss, hope and despair. He was familiar with it all. Too familiar. Was he ever destined to be happy? he pondered.

That question came back to haunt him nearly every mile he travelled. He just couldn't get Samantha Carter out of his head.

Outside of Sioux City, driving through the Iowa countryside, he pulled off the road and stopped the car. He'd been looking in the mirror and was sure that the black SUV had been following him. He'd noticed it several cities ago and it was still there. He grabbed the bottle of water from his stock on the floor next to him and took a swig, watching as the SUV sailed past. He couldn't see in the windows, they were entirely tinted black. He waited until it disappeared before he pulled back onto the road, cursing himself for being too paranoid.

Several miles went by without seeing the other vehicle and he was beginning to relax again when he had a sudden flash of clear insight, he finally admitted that he had been running away from the problem instead of dealing with it. He loved Sam, and it was obvious she loved him too. Why else would she have kissed him for cryin' out loud? He really couldn't just abandon her, not after wanting her for so long. Was he just going to let her go? After dancing round the regs for so long? No! He would make her see sense even if he had to break her door down. They would think of something... There must be some way round the regulations that had kept them apart?

With renewed hope surging in his chest, he checked the road was clear then performed an about turn and started back on the road to Colorado; to his Sam.

Jack was a good driver, he'd been driving for years, safely; but he didn't see the truck come at him from round the bend until it was too late to avoid it. It seemed to come out of nowhere and on his side of the road too. He fought to stay calm as he spun the wheel and swerved in order to avoid the semi-truck, there was nowhere to go, and the monster caught him side on and pushed him off the road and down the short but steep incline.

The big green ford rolled, bounced and spun several times, coming to a tentative stop halfway down the slope, smoking, complaining with grating metal, but resting against a sturdy tree. Jack had been thrown against the side window as well as the steering wheel, the air-bag deployed at the last minute and he'd been buckled up, but it didn't help so much when the truck rolled and rolled; he still collided heavily with the interior. He was only dimly aware of how much trouble he was in when he heard a bone or two snap in his legs and he couldn't help cry out in agony. There was sharp needles of pain throughout his body, then blessed nothingness.

The driver of the truck, reported the accident and then took off, not wanting to get caught by the police. He didn't wait to see if the driver was hurt or not. He'd known it was wrong of him but there were no witnesses and his truck was barely scraped in the collision.

Within fifteen minutes the place was swarming with police, fire crews and paramedics. Firemen worked to free the victim from the wreckage; the truck being totally trashed.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack vaguely surfaced as someone called to him, but he couldn't make out who it was. He didn't want to wake up, he was too tired.

"Sir?"

"Carter?" he muttered softly, his voice barely audible.

He tried to move but his head spun and he swallowed hard to keep the bile back. What was wrong? Where was he? Was Sam really here? His head hurt, and come to that so did his neck and his back and it was so hard to breathe.

"Don't try to move sir. We'll have you out of here real soon. Do you remember what happened?"

Jack had a brief flash of a huge truck bearing down on him; then pain and blackness. It all came back to him slowly.

"Acc...acci'nt?" he murmured, feeling thoroughly exhausted for some reason. He just wanted to go to sleep. "Crap!" he muttered with feeling.

"That right sir, you had an accident. Can you tell me your name?" the medic asked with a chuckle over Jack's forthright comment.

His name? He searched his memory. It was hard to think through the pain.

"Ja...ack. O'...O'Neill." He swallowed, his mouth was dry and sticky, and tasted coppery. "T...two 'L's!" he added with a faint smile and a huff of pained air.

"Okay, Jack, I'm Daryl and I'm going to stay right here with you and help you, so you just take it easy," the medic told him, checking his stats once more.

"Uh huh!" Jack murmured breathlessly, his strength fading.

Jack tried to bring his arm up; there was something tight round his neck and it was annoying him like hell, except his arm wouldn't move, wouldn't obey him. Why? He tried looking down at it, wondering why, but the medic stopped him with a gentle hand.

"Please don't move Jack. You have a collar on, just in case you have a spinal injury. Let us worry about moving you. You just lie there and let us do all the work."

Jack tried to nod his understanding, but couldn't, so he sighed.

"'Kay!" he managed, but his mind was drifting. So tired.

Someone moved something and Jack came to, fully aware of whatever it was they had done. He couldn't help the scream that tore from him when it felt like they were ripping the skin from his body. There was the awful sound of more screeching; of metal against metal with showers of sparks, then suddenly he was looking at the stars in the night sky and could feel the cooler air fanning over his heated flesh.

His mind wandered as he tried to find Charlie's star. It was up there somewhere, though he couldn't orient himself, he was much too tired; his eyes kept closing. It didn't register in his mind that they had taken the roof off the truck in order to make it easier to free his trapped legs so they could remove him from the wreck.

He drifted in and out of consciousness and woke each time completely disoriented and asking what had happened. The medic who had introduced himself as Daryl was very patient and went through everything over and over with him, explaining the accident and never losing his cool with Jack, even when he asked the same question about what had happened to him. The young man was good at his job, continuing to reassure Jack, even as he drifted back down into oblivion yet again.

Eventually they freed his trapped legs and carried him on the back board to the waiting ambulance, where they stabilized him and made him more comfortable, then with lights flashing and sirens wailing, they whisked him off to the local General hospital.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam had spent most of the night debating what to do, even though she had already decided what she needed to put right her mistake.

It was late morning when she finally dragged herself out of bed and across the hall to the bathroom. After finishing off her ablutions she stepped out into the hallway and glanced at the front door. There was an envelope lying on the mat and it peaked her curiosity. She stooped low to pick it up, turning it over in her hands.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that it was the Colonel's handwriting. She wondered what he had written. Had he condemned her actions and was now going to report her to General Hammond and that this letter was just confirmation?

Sitting down on the stool at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee, she just kept staring at it as she sipped on the strong dark brew. Putting the mug down harder than she meant to and slopping the liquid over the top of the mug, she couldn't stand the suspense any longer and ripped open the envelope to pull out the letter. It wasn't very long; typical of the Colonel, she thought. Short and straight to the point.

_Sam, _

_I just wanted to apologise to you for my unforgivable behaviour last night, but you had already fled the scene by the time I had come to my senses. When you kissed me I couldn't hold back any longer and unfortunately I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. I am truly sorry if I have offended your sensibilities in any way. _

_I have taken steps to avoid this misunderstanding in the future, by tending my resignation. General Hammond will have the letter on his desk first thing on Monday morning. _

_I hope that you can and will in time, forgive me. _

_If you wish to report me to the General, then feel free to do so, I will not contend your decision and will accept any punishment deemed suitable for my crime._

_Jack O'Neill_

Sam read the missive with growing shock. He was blaming himself? He had no reason to do that; this was all her fault. She had to speak to him before he handed in his letter of resignation; and apologise to him for her stupidity, hoping it hadn't spoiled the camaraderie between them and that of the team. She couldn't let him resign. The SGC needed him. SG-1 needed him. God, she needed him to be there.

Hurrying to the bedroom, she threw on some jeans and a sweatshirt, then grabbing her keys, she dashed outside and jumped into her car, driving quickly to Jack's house.

Her tires squealed as she jammed on the brakes outside the log-style cabin, then she was out of the car and running up the stoop to bang on his door even before the engine had died.

It seemed an age before she realised that he wasn't at home. She tried the rear patio doors, but they were locked and she couldn't see him through the glass, so she checked his garage and sighed with disappointment when she saw that his truck was missing too.

"Can I help you miss?"

Sam swung round and came face to face with an elderly woman.

"I was looking for Colonel O'Neill, actually."

"I've seen you before haven't I?"

"Probably," Sam replied with a smile. "Colonel O'Neill is my CO."

"He's gone away my dear. I don't sleep too well and I saw him take off in that great big truck of his around four-thirty this morning. I always keep an eye on the place for him when he's not here. Was it something important you wanted to see him about?" the old woman prattled on. "I should imagine he took off for that cabin of his, or maybe he went off on another one of those secret missions he says he goes on..."

Sam started when she said this. Jack talked about secret missions to his neighbours? She had to stop this conversation before she revealed anything she didn't need to know.

"Ah," Sam interrupted. "No...it's not that important, not really. I'll catch him when he gets back. Thanks! Bye!"

Sam left the woman standing there stunned as she took off in a hurry.

Maybe Jack had gone to the cabin? But then, perhaps he wouldn't like her going up there without an invite, plus she wasn't too sure where it was, never having been there before, and with no address it would be useless to try. It was frustrating having to sit by and wait, but she was determined to get to him before he left for the mountain on Monday at the latest, or better still she would come back to the house on Sunday evening.

TBC


	3. Shocking News

_Wow! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews – keep 'em coming guys, I love them. Your comments are always appreciated. _

_Glad you're enjoying this. So as a reward, here's the next chapter already!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

Maybe Jack had gone to the cabin? But then, he wouldn't perhaps like her going up there without an invite, plus she wasn't too sure where it was, never having been there before, and with no address it would be useless to try. It was frustrating having to sit by and wait, but she was determined to get to him before he left for the mountain on Monday at the latest, or better still she would come back to the house on Sunday evening.

Chapter 3 – Shocking news.

The phone rang and rang interrupting Sam's dreams. Suddenly realising that it was the phone that had woken her, she snatched it up, rubbing at her eyes in an effort to wake up.

"Carter," she answered through a yawn.

"Major Carter..."

She immediately recognised the voice on the other end of the line.

"General, sir?" she was worried now. It was unusual that the General called her, let alone in the middle of the night. It was 04:19 hrs, Sam noticed the time on her bedside clock. The big red glowing figures unmistakable in the dark.

"I'm sorry to have to wake you Major, but do you think you could come in? Something has cropped up. I'd rather not mention it over the phone."

"Ah...yes sir, of course. I'll be there as soon as I can sir."

"Thank you."

The phone cut off and Sam sat up in bed staring at it in curiosity. The General had sounded really worried; something was obviously wrong at the SGC. The tone of his voice had made him sound tired and 'old'.

She pulled herself together and dashed into the bathroom to take a quick shower and change before rushing off to Cheyenne Mountain.

OoOoOoOoO

The elevator doors opened and Sam stepped out, only to almost bump into Daniel. He dropped a sheaf of papers and bent down to pick them up. Sam helped, handing them back as they started to move on.

"Hey, Daniel. Do you know what's going on?" Sam asked, thinking perhaps that because Daniel had been here, he might know what the problem was.

"Hey Sam," Daniel greeted her with a smile now. "How's things? And no I have no idea what's going on. I just got a message that General Hammond wanted to see SG-1 in the briefing room."

Sam ignored the part where he had asked her how things were. She wanted to say terrible, but she kept those dark and gloomy thoughts to herself.

"Then I guess we should head there to find out!" Sam sighed. She still felt a little tired, but pushed it aside. Being military, one had to forgo one's own personal feelings when your CO needed a job done.

They both walked down the corridor to meet up with Teal'c as he was about to step into the room.

"Hey Teal'c!" Sam called with a smile.

"Major Carter. Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied with a slight incline of his head in greeting his team-mates.

It was too late to ask the big Jaffa if he knew what this meeting was about because they were already entering the room, surprised to see the General already sitting at the table waiting for them. His hands were fisted together, pressed against his brow. He looked up at their entry and Sam saw that he suddenly looked old, and tired as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Something bad must have happened because most things didn't have this effect on the General; he always faced adversity head on.

"Major, Dr. Jackson, Teal'c. Take a seat."

They passed a worried look between them as they each took their seats. They had expected Jack to be there too, but Sam guessed he was probably on his way back from wherever he had been heading.

Daniel obviously wasn't aware that Jack had gone away therefore he asked that pertinent question.

"Is Jack not coming General?"

General Hammond sighed and shook his head.

"No son, that's why we're here. I've just been notified that Colonel O'Neill was involved in an RTA in Iowa..." His voice trailed off when there were gasps of horror coming from his team, well, two of them at least. Teal'c just arched his eyebrow higher than usual with a deep frown.

"Oh god!" moaned Sam, the full horror had struck her like a lightning bolt.

"How...um...?" Daniel's voice broke and he cleared his throat, trying not to squeak. "Is he...um...okay?" Daniel demanded to know. He couldn't believe that he might lose Jack from something so mundane as a road traffic accident. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "What was he doing in Iowa?" At the back of his mind he did wonder if perhaps Jack had really been sent on a dangerous undercover mission and had been wounded or something in the aftermath and the General was covering it up, but then he knew he wasn't being fair to the General. After the last fiasco, he had promised that they would be told of any covert missions involving Jack so as to avoid any future misunderstandings.

General Hammond let them calm down a little. He could see that Major Carter looked tearful and was trying hard not to let her emotions show. Dr. Jackson had no problem with allowing his concern to show through. Teal'c, the General noted, was also shocked but was managing to maintain his dignity as befitting the stoical Jaffa.

"Colonel... Jack," he amended, "called me last night and told me he was heading off to his cabin for a few days. He said he needed to get away to do some thinking."

Daniel acknowledged this but still needed to know how Jack was. He had the distinct impression the news wasn't good. He'd lost so many friends along the way; was...had he lost Jack too?

General Hammond sipped some water from the glass in front of him then cleared his throat.

Sam was practically screaming inside for him to get on with telling them how bad he was; but on the other hand, there was no way she wanted to hear him say that Jack was dead either. Was this her fault? Had he gone off in a tearing hurry and wasn't thinking straight? That thought almost had her running from the room; she felt sick.

"At this point in time I have no further details on what happened or how. As to what his current condition is, well, I only know that he was seriously injured." He paused to swallow the lump he found restricting his throat.

He sucked in a huge breath then continued in a subdued voice.

"The doctor's...were operating, but they don't hold out much hope of him surviving his injuries." He momentarily closed his eyes in a sick kind of relief. There...he said it, but it still didn't seem possible or real; it was more like a nightmare - frightening, but not quite tangible, just out of reach to grasp the horrifying truth.

Jack was like a son to him. If he lost Jack the pain inside would be like he was losing his wife all over again. Jack was an incredibly unholy terror at times; insubordinate and stubborn to boot, but he was also endearing and brutally honest, and totally loyal towards him, the SGC and his team-mates; especially his team - they were his family; he lived for them and treated them as his 'kids'. His mind kept playing images of Jack over and over in his head and it was difficult to think of life in the SGC without the man around. He'd often visualised SG-1 returning without one or the other from some battle fought off-world, but he never thought he would lose hi best officer like this.

Without another word from Jack's team, who were deep in shock, he spoke up, telling them of the arrangements he'd taken the liberty of making for them.

"I know you'd all like to be with him at this time, so I've arranged for you all to be flown out to Sioux City where the Colonel is in the local hospital. Dr. Fraiser will be going with you to assess his condition. I've booked you all into the nearest hotel. There's transport ready on the tarmac at Peterson for when you're ready. Keep me appraised of his condition. God speed people."

With that, the General stood and walked slowly back to his office, his head hung low, his shoulders stooped with sadness. It had hit SG-1 hard, but the General shared their pain too, and every one of his years reminded him that perhaps retirement wasn't so very far away after all. He'd been grooming Jack to take his place one day, and didn't look forward to training someone else. Jack was this place; he was the SGC, whether he knew it or even liked the idea of being 'the man' or not, he was the best person for the job.

OoOoOoOoO

"Oh great!" Daniel sighed unhappily when he spotted the waiting transport at the AF base. They'd just arrived and watched the staff car drive off to return to the SGC. Now they faced the next leg of their journey and Daniel was far from happy when he saw what was waiting for them on the tarmac.

Sam glanced sideways at him in puzzlement.

"Daniel? What's wrong?"

"Did I ever tell you I hate helicopters," he explained woefully. "I get sick in them."

"Don't worry Daniel, I'll take care of you," Janet responded with a smirk. She delved into her bag and brought out two pills. "Here take these and you'll be fine."

"You sure?" he asked doubtfully.

"Are you doubting my word as your physician Dr. Jackson? Janet huffed, but winked at Sam without Daniel seeing.

"What? Ah...no, of course not!" he denied it sounded like it did. "I...I didn't mean it like that..." he stuttered, hoping he hadn't offended her. She sounded like she'd taken umbrage by the way she'd said his title rather than his name. She'd threatened Jack enough times with those big needles; and that was the last thing he needed the next time he visited the infirmary.

With a stern look from a pretending to be mollified Janet, he swallowed the tablets down with a noisy gulp and prepared to climb on board.

Sam snorted and nudged her best friend for leading Daniel on, on purpose. Janet threw her an innocent look just before Sam climbed up after Teal'c, and followed her.

After fastening their safety helmets and seat belts, the helicopter lifted off, accompanied by Daniel's soft groan when it tilted forward slightly and banked right.

Janet rolled her eyes at Sam but by then, all Sam could think about wasn't Daniel's discomfort, but in what state they would find Jack when they got there; hoping of course that he'd survived long enough in the first place.

General Hammond had said he had been seriously injured, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was in too public a hospital, she would have used the healing device. They would have to transfer Jack back to the SGC first before she could even attempt to use alien technology.

She couldn't help but think about their last encounter. She had run away from his kiss believing she had overstepped the line, but he had believed it was all his fault. Would she get the chance to correct the misunderstanding that had arisen that night? Was it just a matter of hours ago? It seemed like a life time had passed by already. She certainly felt older, but not necessarily wiser. If that were the case, she would have been able to talk to him instead of running off like she had. All she wanted to do was turn the clock back and not make the same mistake.

All too soon they were landing and Sam realised that she had spent the whole time so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed. Good job this wasn't a mission as such; the Colonel would have... The thought struck her then that perhaps he never would again be there to pull her up short if her mind wandered; he might not be there to pull her ass out of the fire, yet again. She choked back the tears and told herself that she should be ashamed of burying the man before knowing how badly injured he was. She mentally shook herself and threw herself into command which was what she was now; their acting CO in the Colonel's absence.

They were met at the landing pad and taken straight into the hospital while their bags were taken to the hotel. Neither one of them could delay seeing their friend and Co. They all needed to know how he was.

TBC


	4. The Waiting Game

_Big tissue warning here guys...sorry, but bear with me on this, there will be some good news in a later chapter. _

_Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Keep 'em coming._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

They were met at the landing pad and taken straight into the hospital while their bags were taken to the hotel. Neither one of them could delay seeing their friend and Co. They all needed to know how he was.

Chapter 4 – The Waiting Game

Time stretched endlessly in front of them as they waited in the side room. Janet had been gone for over an hour now and apart from a young nurse popping in to see if they had everything they wanted, nobody disturbed the tense silent atmosphere.

Sam stood staring out of the window, overlooking the smallflower bedsand the busy city street. The well kept little patches of colour in front of the hospital a stark contrast to the uniform dullness of the glass buildings opposite; the grey leeched from the scudding clouds that obscured the sun and was reflected in the glass walls of the office blocks around them. It seemed to sum up how Sam felt. Glum.

Daniel had gotten through countless cups of coffee as he'd alternately sat or paced the little room. His impatient muttering interrupting Sam's gloomy thoughts.

Teal'c was the only one who appeared outwardly calm, but Sam knew better. The Jaffa was just as troubled about his warrior brother as they were; he just kept his emotions well hidden.

After what seemed like hours, the door opened and Janet entered. Sam knew at once it was bad news but the way Janet's eyes were red and puffy as she allowed the friendship she had developed between the team members and herself to show through the professional mask.

Daniel was on his feet immediately, taking her by the arm and propelling her to the nearest chair.

"Janet? Is he...?" Daniel couldn't bring himself to ask if they were too late. He could feel the tears threatening to fill his eyes already knowing that Janet wouldn't have cried if the prognosis had been better.

"He's hanging on Daniel, but...maybe just this once he should let go," she sniffed brokenly.

"What?" Daniel demanded in shock.

"Janet?" Sam gasped, appalled by what her friend had just said.

Janet knew she had surprised them with her statement, but she knew the prospects of the Colonel's survival was not what he would have wanted.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Sam asked, a puzzled frown furrowing her brow.

Janet sniffed back the fresh burn of tears and sucked in a deep breath, fortifying herself to tell them the truth. It would be brutal to say the least, but thy deserved the honesty. Jack was more than their CO; he was their family. Vaguely she wondered if knowing the truth would do what in essence the Goa'uld could never do and that was to destroy the team. It could finish them.

"I mean, with the extent of his injuries he... he'll never be able to return to the SGC."

Shocked gasps came from Daniel and Sam, along with a plethora of questions.

"Why?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"AreO'Neill's injuries that severe Dr. Fraiser?" Teal'c asked, his concern mounting.

"What, so you think that he'd wish he'd died instead?" Daniel speculated.

Janet let the rush of questions wash over her while she sat with her head bowed. She wiped the tears from her eyes again and pulled herself together. Jack. Not Colonel O'Neill. He was her friend. On her first duty at the SGC, when practically the whole of the SGC had succumbed to that Neanderthal type virus, he was the one who understood, and begged her to test her theory on him. He was always putting himself forward, hoping to save the others. For all his hard ass attitude, underneath he was a generous, selfless and caring man, and it had been her privilege to put him back together on several occasions. Despite the fact that he was a major pain in the ass as a patient, she wouldn't have it any other way. To see him lying so helpless she wished with all her heart that he was bitching and complaining back in her infirmary. It tore at her very fabric to see him like that.

"Janet?"

Daniel's soft voice brought her back to the here and now.

"I'm sorry," she said, apologising for drifting off like that. How unprofessional was that? These were Jack's friends too and needed to know the worst.

She cleared her throat, having been handed a plastic cup of water by the ever solicitous Teal'c. She thanked him, took a sip then began the sorry tale.

"Right now he's in a coma. He's breathing with the aid of a ventilator. His injuries are extensive and it took hours of surgery to correct them. Though they could do nothing..." she paused swallowing hard. "He's... If he survives through the next 48 hours, he'll..." she gulped, swallowing hard. " he'll be paralysed, unable to do anything for himself. His neck was broken during the accident, damaging the spinal chord. He has several broken ribs, a punctured lung and there was a small rupture in his spleen which they've repaired. His left arm is fractured and both his legs were badly broken in the wreckage. And, if by some miracle his spine hadn't been broken, even then it would be doubtful he could return to work at the SGC, let alone walk. He would be confined to a wheelchair."

Sam looked devastated, and Janet's heart went out to her.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do," Janet sniffed, feeling helpless.

"Then we have to get him back to the SGC where I can use..." Sam's words dropped off, knowing she couldn't actually mention anything in particular where they were, but knew they would all understand what she wasn't actually saying out loud.

Janet shook her head.

"What?" Daniel gasped in horror. What are you saying? That it wouldn't work? That you won't let Sam try? Janet...!"

"You don't understand Daniel. There's nothing anyone can do. He is in a critical condition and I won't be responsible for moving him. It would kill him before we'd gotten anywhere near Colorado, and probably before we'd even reached the helicopter. All we can do is sit tight and wait to see if he recovers. If he does show signs of pulling through this, then we can contemplate the alternative, if and it's a big IF, the Colonel wants it. He made a living will guys. No revival if there was no hope."

"There's always hope Janet."

Janet glanced up at Sam, her eyes hard and penetrating.

"Who for Sam? For him, or for you!"

Sam gasped in shock at her friends harsh words and the tears began to flow faster. Janet sobbed too. She hadn't meant to say it like that, it just popped out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry Sam. I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry."

Janet stood, and threw her arms round Sam's quaking shoulders. She had known of the attraction between the two for a long time now, and obviously it was still a sore subject. Sam melted into her friend's embrace as they wept in each others arms. A release they both needed.

Daniel stood by, looking out of the window; his own thoughts were with Jack, lying somewhere in the hospital fighting for his very existence. Would he be able to pull through as he always did, or would the dreadful reality of looking at life from a wheelchair put an end to the man he knew and loved? Yes, he loved Jack in his own way. Jack was the older brother he never had, the one friend whom he'd allowed to get close to him. He'd never had a friend like Jack; he'd never really had a friend before.

The man was unique, he'd actually cared for Daniel when no-one else knew what to do with him; Jack had taken him in and looked after him. He was a real friend, and someone it was always good to be around, despite his short temper and his weird sense of humour. What was to become of their friendship now? Knowing Jack, the man would try to shut himself away and not want to see anyone, but Daniel knew he would never turn his back on Jack; he owed him too much already. He vowed that if Jack survived, he would be there for him no matter what.

Teal'c stood by almost guarding the intimate moments his team-mates were sharing, daring anyone to interrupt them. They needed time to come to terms with the devastating news and to bond together, making each other strong in order to face the future whatever it brought. He himself was saddened to hear of the fate of his friend and brother. O'Neill was one of the strongest humans he knew, but he also knew that this could break his friend's spirit should he indeed live past this crisis.

Janet pulled away, straightening up her white coat. Sam brushed away her tears and sniffed, pulling her sweater down where it had ridden up slightly.

"Can we see him?" she asked.

Janet nodded.

"I'll take you down there, but it won't be a pretty sight. I'm warning you now, that it will be quite distressing to see him like this. Are you sure you want to do this?"

There were three affirmative answers. Janet nodded and turned towards the door. Teal'c opened it and she led the three of them to a bed at the far end of the ICU.

At first sight of the battered features; the pale face beneath the ventilator and the swathes of dressings covering the upper body, Sam thought that it couldn't possibly be Jack under there. As she looked closer though, she could see that little patch of hairless skin in the middle of his left eyebrow was sporting yet another deep cut; it seemed to split with the slightest provocation, like a weak spot. The short spiky hair was iron grey on top with touches of silver at the temples. The nose had been broken and there was a sticking plaster covering the swollen bridge. Livid purple bruises marred the wide expanse of forehead, but even through the swelling, Sam could still see that little vertical crease that nestled in between his brows. There was no mistake; this was definitely Colonel Jack O'Neill. Her heart bled again for the loss of the man he was and whom he might never be again.

His legs were encased in plaster casts, showing that despite his prospects of never walking again, they had set the broken bones properly. She could only wish that he made it through this so that she could use the healing device on him, hoping that it might give him back his life again.

He looked so lost lying there in a world of his own hovering on the brink between life and death, and she couldn't help but think of him as lost somewhere between the worlds, waiting for someone to claim him. She hoped that with what had passed between them that night, even though their actions were misinterpreted by the other, that he was seeking her out and would return to her one day. She realised that she wanted him more than anything, and now it seemed he might just need her. Them. Because it would probably take all of them to get him through this.

She knew him well enough to know he would try to push them away, telling them to get on with their lives and to forget him, but what he would never realise was he was already so much a part of their lives. They were all friends and would stick by him no matter what. He wouldn't be alone. They never left anyone behind and certainly not him.

How they would achieve this she had no idea, not really understanding the simple day to day needs of one who was paralysed. Her only experience of such as he would be, was from various movies and documentaries she'd seen the TV.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and realised when that hand reached up to brush away the moisture on her cheeks, that she had been crying. Daniel offered her a tearful smile back and they melted into each others arms, bringing strength to one another and to prepare for whatever the future held for them all.

TBC


	5. Sitting Vigil

_I'll try not to keep you all in suspense for too long, but there is still a lot of angst to go through yet, so bear with me; you know I won't leave him like that!_

_Thanks once again for all your great reviews. Sorry but there's a few more tears to shed along the way before we get to the good bits._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and realised when that hand reached up to brush away the moisture on her cheeks, that she had been crying. Daniel offered her a tearful smile back and they melted into each others arms, bringing strength to one another and to prepare for whatever the future held for them all.

Chapter 5 – Sitting Vigil

They took turns in sitting with him. Hour after hour, turned into day after day. That first dreadful week was followed by the next.

With no sign of Jack waking yet, General Hammond had reluctantly recalled them back to their responsibilities. Janet had already returned to the SGC, unable to stay at his side for long; her duties inside the mountain had to take first priority. Now it was the same for the rest of SG-1.

Sam's expertise was needed urgently, so Daniel decided that he needed some time off and put in a determined request to use some of his accumulated leave that he had neglected to take in the past and put it into staying where Jack needed him the most. Hammond accepted and granted the request with a smile, knowing what the archaeologist wanted more than anything.

Hammond didn't care. Officially Dr. Jackson was on leave, and he knew without being told, that when the young man had used up all his leave, then Major Carter would most certainly put in a request for her vacation time, also spending the time at the hospital too, if things hadn't improved by then.

With Teal'c it was a little more awkward, but he would grant him leave too if and when the time came, working his way round official records to allow him to go to Sioux City or wherever, instead of going off-world to his family as he always did.

Jack would have his team round him at all times. With such dire consequences of his accident, Jack would not be left on his own; he would know that his friends were there for him, helping him through this crisis.

General Hammond had felt the deep pain of heartache when he had been given Janet's full report on Jack's condition as soon as she returned to the SGC. It felt like a physical blow and he had had to remain seated until he could feel the strength return to his suddenly weakened legs. He didn't know what to wish for. Was it wrong to hope that Jack died now without knowing how badly his body had been broken? It was a forlorn and useless wish that the man would recover fully. What he didn't want to see, was if Jack did survive this, that his spirit had died when he realised he could no longer live a useful life inside a crippled body. He knew Jack didn't want that. It was all down in his notes.

His one true hope lay in contacting the Asgard in the probability that Thor could reverse the damage or the Tok'ra if that failed. He felt it was almost certainly too much for Major Carter to deal with using the hand device and they couldn't risk using it in the hospital where Jack's sudden improvement would be more than a little difficult to explain. If they could only get Jack back here then all would be well. But that's wherein the tragedy lay. They couldn't move him yet, he was still too sick to attempt the transfer. The Doctors at the hospital were adamant that it was far too dangerous to make the attempt just yet, and Janet couldn't help but agree.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel had sat by Jack's side hour after hour with no outward sign that the older man was still there. His hands and arms lay unnaturally still by his side. Daniel knew well from experience that Jack O'Neill was never still. A constant bundle of restless energy was how Daniel would describe Jack. Yet here he was as still as if he were dead already. The only movement detectable was the rise and fall of his chest when the ventilator pumped oxygen into his lungs.

He'd spent the last week sitting in the same hard chair. Watching. Waiting. Snatching a few minutes or occasional hours of sleep, yet never fully resting. Hoping for a miracle.

He yawned and rubbed his hands over his face, pushing his glasses up to rub at his tired eyes. He stood up and stretched his back, working all the kinks out from sitting so long in one spot and doing absolutely nothing, except reading the occasional pages of a book that Sam had sent him, though he couldn't concentrate on the words when he was so worried. He was just waiting impatiently for some sign to show that Jack was going to wake up, but so far there hadn't been even so much as a twitch from the man lying in the bed.

Daniel placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and leaned forward. Janet had said that Jack might be able to hear him if he talked to him and that talking to him might be the answer to finally waking him.

"Jack. You know, anytime you want to wake up would be good, but now would be a hell of a lot better. I know you're in there somewhere, so why don't you just show me those dark eyes of yours. C'mon, it's not that hard Jack. Please! Do it for Sam Jack. She needs you!"

Daniel picked up Jack's right hand and held it, while his other hand rested on Jack's shoulder willing him to so much as twitch. He gripped firmer, encouraging Jack to respond, despite being told that Jack wouldn't be able to feel or move his limbs. Not any more; not with his injuries.

"Come on Jack. I know you can do this!" he urged.

Daniel kept his eyes focussed on Jack's hand lying limp in his and sighed in disappointment. Well, maybe not today, he sighed.

He lay the scarred limp hand back onto the bed and turned round to gaze out of the window. The area outside was full of activity. People were hurrying about their business. Cars were jamming the street, horns honking. There were trucks, school busses, saloons, limos, police cars, the occasional fire truck and of course, being a hospital in a busy city, the inevitable flood of ambulances, with lights flashing and sirens wailing. You name Daniel saw it. Life went on around him, while his stood still, waiting for the inevitable; hoping for the impossible.

The door opened and Daniel turned to see the petite nurse enter, a cup of coffee in her hand and a ready smile on her lips.

"Good morning Dr. Jackson. How's our patient? Any change?" she asked, handing the coffee to Daniel and then taking a closer look at Jack.

"Hi Ellie, and no, there's no change. I've bullied him to wake up but the stubborn ass is as usual ignoring me."

Nurse Ellie Mansfield giggled as she made a note of Jack's vitals on his chart.

"Well, maybe later huh?" she sighed, looking down on her handsome patient, thinking that if he were only younger she could quite fancy him. It would be such a shame if the man didn't wake soon. His gorgeous friend here would be going home in a few days time, and she really wished that he would begin to recover before that happened.

"Yeah, maybe," Daniel echoed. "So what's on the agenda today?" he asked, absently turning his gaze back to the view outside the window.

Ellie didn't answer, and Daniel stopped drinking to look round at her again, wondering why.

"Ellie?"

He saw she was glued to Jack's face, a wide smile splitting her face and he forced his eyes to follow hers.

Deep brown sleepy eyes were watching her.

"Jack!" he cried in disbelief. His heart quickened with joy at seeing Jack awake. His half drunk coffee was forgotten and dumped the cup down quickly on the bedside table, taking Jack's still lifeless hand.

Jack blinked and with difficulty turned his attention to Daniel's voice. He recognised it as his friend, but couldn't for the life of him recall where he was or what had happened. He hadn't recognised the room or the pretty, young nurse.

He recognised the feeling of having a ventilator tube down his throat, so he didn't panic; for some reason he didn't understand as yet, he just didn't have the energy to fight it. His eyes tracked to the side when Daniel's shadow passed over his face. He saw deep relief in those moist blue eyes, and saw they harboured a deep sorrow too. How long had he been out of it? he wondered, and were things as bad as Daniel's expression was making out?

With the ventilator it was impossible to talk, so he couldn't ask what was wrong. He turned back to the nurse to see her smiling broadly and then she made an excuse to go off and find the doctor.

He frowned up at his friend, asking the question with his eyes.

Daniel was nothing if not perceptive and after a stab at guessing what Jack needed to know he filled him in on a few details.

"You had an accident Jack. Your truck was ran off the road and it overturned a few times. You were badly hurt. You're in the hospital in Sioux City."

Daniel stopped there, not wanting to tell his friend the worst news yet. He knew Jack wanted to hear the rest of it, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, not just yet.

"That was almost four weeks ago now," Daniel continued hesitantly.

"Da'yl!" Jack mumbled round the tube in his throat. He knew there was something Daniel was holding back. Knew it had to be bad, but he needed to know exactly how bad it was.

Daniel looked away in distress, but not before Jack had seen the few tears that had begun to roll down his cheeks. The shocking damnation of that moisture was enough for Jack to know the worst was yet to come. He tried moving his hand; tried to bring it up to look at it, but it wouldn't move. At first he thought it was because they had pumped him full of drugs, but now he wasn't so sure. He couldn't feel his arm. Or the other one, and come to think of it, he couldn't feel anything. He started to panic.

The alarms started squealing, and Daniel was trying his best to calm Jack down knowing he had been responsible for not being honest with his friend.

The door burst open and the doctor, followed by Ellie and a couple of other nurses all rushed in. The doctor injected something in Jack's IV and soon Jack's frantic reaction was easing off as the medication worked on sedating him. Jack was drifting off to sleep again, but seemed to be fighting it.

Daniel felt his heart break when he looked down on his friend. Jack had obviously worked it all out and come to the correct conclusion.

"What happened here?" demanded the doctor, looking with something like accusation in his eyes towards Daniel.

"I...em... I think he just discovered he couldn't move. He must have panicked," Daniel explained. He was worried about his friend and his decidedly frenzied reaction, but knew that it was worse for Jack, waking up to that.

There was at least one ray of hope now. If Jack was awake, he was obviously getting over the worst, so that meant they should be able to transfer him to the SGC soon and that meant Sam could work the healing device on him. They hadn't heard from Thor or the Tok'ra at all, so it was all down to Sam.

"I have allowed you to stay here on the understanding that you would sit quietly with him, but I was obviously wrong," the doctor snarled, anger hardening his voice. "I will not have you upsetting my patient. I am sorry Dr. Jackson but I must ask you to leave now."

Daniel wanted to object. He didn't want to leave Jack, but he had no authority here. His presence was a favour as he wasn't a relative, just a friend. Hammond had pulled a few strings and he'd been granted admittance just so long as the hospital allowed him there.

"Don't worry Jack. I'll be back and we'll get you back to the Academy hospital where we can look after you properly!" he said, leaning over to talk in Jack's ear, but his troubled eyes were fixed on the medic. He had to let Jack know that it would be okay.

With a last look at Jack's now lax features, he turned and walked from the room, never knowing whether Jack had heard and understood his last message.

The doctor glared at the retreating figure, then fiddled with the IV and checked and reset all the monitors, and then he made everyone leave the room so that his patient could sleep undisturbed.

OoOoOoOoO

"I'm sorry General, but they won't allow me back in to see Jack. They said he doesn't want to see anyone."

Daniel was on the phone to General Hammond. It had been a few days since he had been told to leave the hospital, though he'd stayed in the city. Since then Jack had apparently woken and the doctor had explained his condition to him, and now Jack was refusing to see anyone.

They all knew this was how Jack would react, but they hadn't bargained on not being able to get into the hospital to see him and talk to him; to try and reason with him; to make him understand that he would get better with Sam's help if no-one else's.

This called for the General to bring in the big guns, so he put a call through to the Pentagon.

The upshot was that Sam was reluctantly granted access along with Major Davis to see the Colonel and to arrange for his transfer to a military hospital, namely the Academy hospital in the Springs or the SGC. She had to see Jack so that she could let him know that there was still hope for him, and that she loved him, regardless of what happened at his house that night.

TBC


	6. Learning the Truth

_Sorry, still gotta shed a few more tears over this, but we're getting there. I swear things will pick up soon!_

_Thanks again for all your lovely comments – I thrive on them; it helps motivate me to write more._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

The upshot was that Sam was reluctantly granted access along with Major Davis to see the Colonel and to arrange for his transfer to a military hospital, namely the Academy hospital in the Springs or the SGC. She had to see Jack so that she could let him know that there was still hope for him, and that she loved him, regardless of what happened at his house that night.

Chapter 6 – Learning the Truth

When next Jack surfaced from the miasma of drugged sleep, he lay quietly, assessing his condition. He'd read the fear and the tragedy in Daniel's eyes, seen for himself the truth behind the glasses perched on his friend's nose. Now he was finding out for himself just how bad it really was.

The door opened and the doctor entered. He recognised him from before.

He vaguely wondered where Daniel had gone, but recalling that he was no longer in Kansas, as he would say, he sighed with regret that his friend would probably have been ordered back to the SGC by now.

"So, Colonel O'Neill. It's good to see you're awake again at last. I do apologise for having to sedate you before. I'm sure that Dr. Jackson meant well, but I won't have him upsetting you like that again."

Jack wondered what the man was talking about. Daniel hadn't upset him. Daniel was the one who was upset, but that was between him and the doctor, he remembered them arguing as he struggled to breathe. Was that the reason why Daniel or another one of his team wasn't sitting by his bed?

The doctor looked down at the folder in his hands and smiled as he flicked through the notes.

"Let me explain things to you again Colonel," he said, sitting down on the chair beside the bed and making himself comfortable. "You had a nasty car accident. Your vehicle rolled several times before coming to rest. The rescue services pulled you out of there, but I'm afraid you were severely injured. Your legs were broken in several places but we managed to fix them up as best we could; the broken ribs are healing nicely, and the punctured lung is okay now. Your arm was also broken so we've set that too. There is one more thing though Colonel, and that unfortunately is something that cannot be fixed. Unfortunately you broke your neck which damaged the spinal chord. I'm afraid you're paralysed from the neck down. You will be reliant on the respirator to help you breath for the rest of your life."

Jack gasped in horror at the full realisation. Thinking it was bad enough but actually hearing it straight from the horses mouth was worse. Saying it like that made it feel a whole lot worse. He was devastated to say the least. He looked for hope in the doctor's eyes but saw only confirmation. His life was effectively over. 'Oh god! Why hadn't they let him die?' he asked himself. He didn't want to live like this! No wonder Daniel couldn't tell him. Is that the real reason Daniel had left? Had his friend's deserted him?

"We're going to do one more important operation now that you are recovering from the fractures and are fully aware of the situation. We will perform a tracheotomy so that your breathing tube won't get in the way of your speaking or eating. Once you're over that then we will have to move you to somewhere where they are equipped to dealing with a quadriplegic patient."

Jack let the words wash over him. He didn't want this. That meant he was dead already, why couldn't they just turn off the machine keeping him alive? He'd do it himself if he could only move his hand. Come to think of it, why hadn't they let him go already? He'd been very specific in his will.

The doctor finished speaking and stood, patting him on the shoulder, though Jack never felt it. He fiddled with the IV again and left the room, calling back over his shoulder as he went.

"I've scheduled the operation for tomorrow Colonel. Pleasant dreams!"

Jack felt himself drifting, swirling back into the world of darkness again. He just couldn't keep his eyes open. Why did they keep putting him to sleep? He'd only just woken up for cryin' out loud. Then the thought occurred to him that perhaps they didn't want him to dwell on his prospects for too long. Not that he had any now. He'd lost everything. He'd never be able to go back to his home now. He would no longer have a job at the SGC; There would be no more USAF; his career was over, that was totally out of the equation. His 'life' was effectively over!

His friends. What of them? He hadn't seen any one of them since Daniel had left, and he couldn't actually ask about them. He felt abandoned and defeated and so alone. The world as he knew had come to an end. What was there left for him? Nothing! He wanted to die.

OoOoOoOoO

When Sam and Major Davis arrived at the hospital the next day they were told they couldn't see Jack because he was in surgery, explaining what the procedure they were performing was about. They were then told to come back tomorrow as the Colonel would not be up to having visitors until then, and only if the doctor saw fit.

They retreated to the nearby hotel where they had booked in and waited for the next day to arrive. By which time Sam was almost beside herself with worry.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack woke and tried to work his jaw a few times, it was stiff and his throat was sore from the tube. A nurse was nearby and although he couldn't say much through the dryness, he must have made some noise because she turned and smiled down at him.

"Colonel, it's good to see you're awake," she said as she spooned a few ice chips into his mouth and then a few more as he relished the feel of the cool crystals sliding down his parched and tender throat.

"Jack!" he articulated with a rusty grunt.

She looked puzzled so he swallowed and tried to explain. He felt he had no use for the military title any more. Not now.

"Jack, not Colonel!" His croaked reply was barely above a whisper.

Enlightenment fell and her smile deepened.

"Okay, Jack; I'm Ellie," she said, taking his pulse.

He knew that of course. He'd often seen her here taking care of him.

"I know!"

"I expect you're glad to get that tube out of your throat Col...er Jack," she said conversationally. "Now you'll be able to talk. It'll take a little bit of getting used to trying to talk while the ventilator is doing all the work."

He'd found that, trying to talk while the oxygen was blowing into his lungs for him. He was going to have to learn when he could and could not say the words.

"My...friends?" he asked, hesitantly, but the sound was lost somewhere in the rush of air from the tube so he had to repeat it. "My friends?"

Ellie looked sad. Unfortunately she'd seen this happen all too frequently when someone had ended up paralysed as he had been. Their so called friends had deserted them, mostly through their own embarrassment, unable to face the person who needed them most.

"I'm sorry Jack. There aren't any messages. And Dr. Jackson returned to Colorado a couple of days ago."

Jack had already realised that Daniel couldn't stay around indefinitely, neither of his friends - his team-mates - could. They all had important jobs to carry on with. The Goa'uld were still out there. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement, and Ellie carried on with her duties in silence.

Unknown to him just a few floors away, Sam and Major Davis were still trying to get in to see him, but were being turned away, yet again, by the doctor.

"I'm sorry, he's still too groggy to see anyone yet. I suggest you come back in a couple of days."

Sam tried and failed to argue that they needed to make arrangements for Jack's future, but the doctor had said that the things could be sorted out at a later date and that the Air Force were already making such arrangements through him. The most important thing right now was Jack's health. He needed to rest. It has been a terrible blow to his psyche and he needed time to adjust. Then and only then would he allow the man any visitors.

OoOoOoOoO

Davis and Sam tried several times over the next few days and all with the same results, except that they were told that Colonel O'Neill wasn't seeing anyone and didn't want to have any visitors at all. They would just have to give him time; he would come round in the end.

Meanwhile Jack had asked Ellie the same question every day that passed.

"Any messages?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer, anticipating the worst.

"I'm sorry Jack. There were no messages today."

After a week had gone by he knew what her answer would be. Always the same. Nobody had made any enquiries to ask how he was.

Jack felt his insides go cold, as she confirmed that no-one had phoned or called by, even though he was only actually feeling it figuratively. His team, even General Hammond it seemed, had abandoned him. Now he was stuck here on his own.

Well, they were better off without him, he guessed. Okay. If that's the way they wanted it, then it was alright by him. He didn't need them now, he was well rid of his, so called, friends. He would ask to be transferred to a nursing home somewhere far away. Somewhere, where they wouldn't find him, or bother him and he could in time forget them.

It broke his heart to think that way, and tears leaked from his dark ringed, and hollowed eyes. He closed them, shutting out the deep pain those thoughts had caused. He didn't think anything could hurt as much, not since Charlie had taken his heart with him when he'd died, but this did; cutting through him like a knife.

What bothered him most of all was that all important question, Why? Why hadn't they bothered? Was this all his fault, had he accidentally killed someone else? He still wasn't clear of all the facts of the accident yet. And he knew for a fact that he wasn't drunk; he'd stuck to coffee.

Why wasn't even the General here to make sure that his living will was carried out? Why was he being kept alive like this? He couldn't – didn't wasn't to live like this. But, try as he might to figure it out, it hurt too much to dwell on it, so he closed his mind against it.

Ellie pitied him but knew that he would resent such concern. He hadn't asked to be like this. It had just been bad luck. If she ever got the chance to see Dr. Jackson or the others again, then she would give them a piece of her mind for deserting him in his hour of desperate need. She saw him close off all emotions and pretending it was time for his wash, she rinsed away all trace of the tears he refused to acknowledge. Though she did admire the resolve she saw in him as he pushed the hurt away.

"Ellie," he whispered softly, looking up into her eyes. "Get me out of here! Please. Tell them I need to go somewhere, far away!"

TBC


	7. Frustration

_Wow, I certainly stirred up a few comments with that last chapter! Thanks for all you comments once again. It's nice to know if I'm getting this right._

_I hope this chapter will explain things in a little more detail. Enjoy!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

"Ellie," he whispered softly, looking up into her eyes. "Get me out of here! Please. Tell them I need to go somewhere, far away!"

Chapter 7 - Frustration

Sam had discussed the problem with General Hammond. She and Major Davis hadn't been allowed in to see the Colonel yet, and they were growing frustrated with the hospital. They really needed to reassure Jack that he would be transferred to the SGC where she would work the healing device on him. She needed him to hold on to that thought. It might take several goes, but she would not stop until he was completely healed.

The General had expressed his anger and frustration with the hospital authorities and decided he would just have to pull a few strings.

Armed with this knowledge Sam and Davis were joined by Daniel and Teal'c for moral support. They headed for the hospital a few days later with orders from the Pentagon to permit them entrance to see the Colonel and arrange for his move.

"We're here to see Colonel O'Neill," Sam said with determination. Teal'c stood at her shoulder, glaring down at the diminutive receptionist. Sam hadn't seen her before, but that meant nothing in a big hospital.

"Do you know what room he's in?" she asked. Her voice was a little timid under Teal'c's dark intimidating scrutiny.

"That's why we're asking you."

"Of course. Just one minute, I'll look it up for you."

She flipped through the records on her screen, her face screwed up in puzzlement.

"Are you sure he's in this hospital?" she asked tentatively when Teal'c pulled himself up to his impressive height.

"What? Of course he is. He's been here for several weeks," Sam sighed in despair. What the hell were they playing at.

She spotted the doctor that had fobbed them off in the past.

"Hey!" she yelled, causing everyone in the vicinity to turn round.

They all hurried after him to catch him before he disappeared.

"Doctor Andrews. We demand to see Colonel O'Neill!"

The doctor stood perfectly still looking them all up and down. He looked belligerent and arrogant, and dropped his eyes to meet with Sam's.

"Demand?" he asked with a sneer. "I'm sorry, you can demand all you like you cannot see Colonel O'Neill, He has asked that all visitors be sent away."

"Teal'c, Daniel," Sam threatened.

They needed no other instructions. Teal'c pulled himself up to his full height to face the doctor and Daniel slipped by him, followed by Sam. While Davis read the riot act the doctor.

Sam and Daniel hurried down the corridors towards Jack's room. They wouldn't be fobbed off any longer, even if the doctor called in the security guards.

Daniel found the room and threw the door open to confront his friend, and to tell him not to be so pig headed stubborn.

He stood on the threshold and stared at the empty bed. Sam couldn't see over his shoulder, so she pushed him to one side, only to gape at the empty room.

Daniel ran back out into the corridor where he spotted Ellie.

"Ellie! Ellie," he cried, catching up to her, Sam hard on his heels.

"Where's Jack? Please tell us where he is!" he asked breathlessly, his fear for his friend growing.

Ellie looked down with embarrassment, unable to meet his eyes, then glanced around nervously to see who was watching them.

"I'm sorry Dr. Jackson. I can't tell you that," she said, looking over his shoulder; her eyes widening, deeply troubled.

"What? Why not?" Daniel persisted, confused by her strange attitude.

"Patient confidentiality Dr. Jackson!" came Dr. Andrews' voice as he was escorted by Teal'c and Davis and two hospital security guards.

Ellie excused herself and hurried away, desperate to escape.

"Where is Jack?" Daniel demanded, looking as if he would personally like to string this guy up.

"I can't tell you that. My patient wished to be transferred to another hospital, but I cannot and will not tell you where. Unlike you, I respect my patient's wishes Doctor," he sneered, emphasising Daniel's title.

"Wrong doctor!" Daniel snapped, his patience wearing thin. "I am Jack's executor of his will and the terms and conditions have not been adhered to."

"I know nothing of Colonel O'Neill's will. He merely expressed his desire to move on and not be encumbered with any ties from his past. He does not wish to see you again. Any of you. Those were his explicit instructions."

Sam couldn't help feeling a little hurt by this statement, although she should have known something like this was going on when she couldn't gain admission to see him earlier.

"When was he transferred? Can you tell us that at least?" Sam asked.

"Last Thursday morning." He replied, remaining calm and aloof. "It won't do you any good to go nosing round the ambulance personnel either. They won't tell you a thing."

Daniel sighed in frustration, and Sam felt as if the wind had been taken out of her sails. Jack was gone and didn't want to be found. It was all her stupid fault too. If only she hadn't pushed him, by kissing him like that, none of this would be happening.

"If it's any consolation, Colonel O'Neill is in good hands. He will be well cared for."

Daniel let out a protracted breath and nodded.

"Thank you for that at least," he said. There was nothing else they could do, but perhaps General Hammond could pull a few more strings?

Sam had obviously thought so too, because she pulled at Daniel's sleeve, encouraging him to leave. She headed down the corridor, her team following curiously behind her, the guards following them to make sure they left the building and didn't cause any more disruption to the staff or the patients.

Sam kept her thoughts to herself until they were all sitting in the Air Force limo.

"Come on Sam what is it? Something's up?" Daniel said as soon as the door shut and the driver pulled away from the parking lot.

"That's just it Daniel. We don't need him, we can look up the Colonel's insurance. He has to pay for his treatment and care somehow. Andrews said that the Air Force were taking care of the details, so they must have the details, though I'd like to know why weren't we informed? They have to know where he is, to forward his pension."

Major Davis nodded and instructed the driver to take them to the airport where their transport still waited.

Sam was on the phone to General Hammond the next minute, telling him of the developments. Hammond assured her that he could deal with the personnel records from his end and to head home to base.

Hammond had done his best, but the insurance company refused to release any details of the Colonel's whereabouts, only that his care was being paid for through the proper channels and the Pentagon weren't giving any details saying that the Colonel didn't want anyone visiting him; that he didn't need their pity.

OoOoOoOoO

Over the next four weeks they had tried to find their stubborn friend. And neither was there any word from Thor in all this time so they could only assume that the Asgard were still having problems with the replicators.

Another two weeks had passed when the phone rang in Daniel's office. They had all but given up hope of finding him and their resolve in confronting him on this issue of what constituted their friendship had begun to wane. It had seemed like Jack had disappeared from the face of the Earth.

"Jackson!" he barked, his nose still in the reference book he was reading.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson?"

"Yeah." Daniel paused, listening, suspicious of the stranger's voice.

"Colonel O'Neill's friend?"

"Yeah. Um...who is this?" Daniel was mystified. The person on the other ended sounded frightened.

"Ellie."

"Ellie?" he queried.

"Yes. Ellie Mansfield. I was a nurse at the hospital in Sioux City. I looked after Jack."

"Oh! That Ellie!" Daniel cried, recalling the pretty young nurse. "What can I do for you...wait... worked? You don't work there any more?"

"No. please. I'm scared. I need to talk to you. It's important."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the airport in Cincinnati," she whispered, afraid that she would be overheard.

"Cincinnati? Why there?"

"It's my family's home. I flew here so they would think I was going home."

"Ellie, what's going on?"

"Please Daniel. Help me."

"Of course. What's going on?"

"Please, it's about Jack"

"You know where he is?" Daniel gasped, hope surging in his heart.

"Yes. No! Not really, but I can help you find him."

"Okay. Um...look...can you go home?"

"I could..."

"Ellie, just go home. Give me your address and I'll get there as soon as I can. Just act like you have been doing and enjoying seeing your family again. Well be as quick as we can. I promise."

TBC


	8. A Covert Operation

_Here's the next chapter to keep you from freaking too much. Thanks again for all your reviews. Maybe this will bring you some hope!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

"Ellie, go home. Give me your address and I'll get there as soon as I can. Just act like you have been doing and enjoying seeing your family again. We'll be as quick as we can. I promise."

Chapter 8 – A Covert Operation

He dropped the phone and ran from the room, collecting Sam and Teal'c on the way to General Hammond's office.

He didn't bother knocking, but practically fell through the door, followed by the others who were wondering what had gotten into the young man.

"Dr. Jackson?" Hammond said in surprise at his breathless entrance.

"General. I just had a call from Ellie..."

"Ellie?" Hammond and Sam asked together. Then it dawned on Sam who she was.

"The nurse!"

"yes!" cried Daniel. "She's got some information about Jack, but she says she's afraid. She was scared to death, poor kid. General, we have to get to her. I think something is wrong. She no longer works at the hospital for some reason. Maybe she can tell us whereabouts he is, but we have to protect her, because there is something fishy going on here. This smacks of something...em...sinister if you ask me." Daniel felt quite breathless after his speech. He left Sam and the General gaping in disbelief.

"You think that they took Jack away without his consent?" Hammond speculated.

"Something like that. I wouldn't put it past anything the NID would dream up sir."

"But what could they possibly hope to gain from holding him like he is? He's paralysed from the neck down."

"That's just it sir. Is he?" Daniel asked candidly.

"What?" Sam gasped.

Daniel was growing impatient.

"Look can we discuss this on the airplane or something? Time is running out. We need to get to Ellie before anyone else does. If someone is behind all this, then she is in danger just for contacting me."

"Where is she?"

"At her parents home in Cincinnati," Daniel replied impatiently. He was eager to get going. He didn't want to waste any more time; he wanted to find Jack.

Hammond was soon picking up the phone, and asking to be put through to Peterson AF base.

After a quick conversation with his friend, he replaced the phone.

"You have a go people. General Williams will have transport ready and waiting for you. Keep me apprised Major. God speed."

They tore out of the office and gathered a few belongings. Then they left for the base in an AF car.

OoOoOoOoO

Ellie watched from behind the lace curtain in her mother's lounge. The black SUV was still parked down the street a few doors. She knew they were watching her every move. She only hoped that Daniel and the others would turn up soon. It had been hours since she'd phoned him.

"What's wrong dear?" her mother asked, wondering why she was acting nervous and kept looking out of the window.

"I'm expecting some friends to call by," she said casually. It was true. She hadn't lied. "I'm just anxious for them to get here."

It grew dark and there was still no sign of Daniel or his friends, and Ellie grew more and more despondent.

Her parent's gave up waiting with her and went to bed late, leaving her on her own. She was growing more and more agitated with worry. Her thoughts and imagination was running away with her again. She was thinking up all sorts of scenarios of all the bad things that could have happened to the good looking young man.

She moved to the back of the house to the kitchen at one O'clock, and made herself a drink of coffee, not that she needed it to stay awake; she was too keyed up to sleep even if she'd tried. The kitchen was well lit and the blinds were drawn, so nobody could see inside as she sat at the table drinking, when suddenly there was a soft knocking on the back door.

After she had calmed her racing heart down she opened the door and stood back. Daniel and several others all trooped in quietly. They were all dressed in black, and had blackened faces too, with black woollen hats to hide their hair. Ellie felt as if she'd stepped into one of those movie scenes. A spy thriller or one of those behind enemy lines type of thing. If it wasn't so serious, she could have laughed.

Daniel pulled his hat off and handed her a black backpack.

"Here," he said whispering. The last thing they wanted to do was wake the whole house up. "Put these on, were going for a ride."

Ellie gaped in disbelief, but Daniel just told her to hurry. She opened the bag and pulled out a black outfit, complete with hat and face paint.

Daniel and Teal'c turned their backs while Sam helped her change, telling her not to worry, that they would be fine, and they were doing this to be safe, knowing the NID were keeping watch outside.

Ellie couldn't stop shaking. Her legs felt like cooked spaghetti.

When she was ready Teal'c opened the door and signalled the all clear. They all followed after him with Ellie sandwiched in between Daniel and Sam.

The little covert group climbed over several yard fences, and Ellie was thankful that her immediate neighbours didn't have any dogs to warn the men watching the house out front.

They reached the road keeping to the shadows, so they weren't challenged at all, and all too soon they were driving away slowly so as not to draw attention to themselves. They took the I75 towards Dayton then the I675 in order to reach the Wright-Patterson AF base so they could catch their flight back to Peterson.

All the way there, Ellie kept wondering if they were being followed at all, and what her parents must have thought when they found her gone that morning. It was getting near lunch time now and she was hungry. Nervous though she was, she could always eat like a horse when she was like this.

Sam handed her an energy bar from her own backpack and told her they would have plenty to eat when they reached Cheyenne mountain.

Ellie didn't relax until they were on their way to Colorado Springs. It was exciting. She'd never imagined herself in anything like this situation, she found she was enjoying herself immensely. Sam, Daniel and Murray were good company, though Murray didn't have much to say for himself. She did feel safe with them though, and she knew they would look after her.

"Okay, we're safe now Ellie. What is it you wanted to tell me?" Daniel asked as they flew over the Indiana countryside.

Ellie's thoughts were pulled from the view below back to Daniel and his friends.

"You said it was something to do with Jack?" he persisted.

"Yeah. I don't think he's as sick as the doctor made out."

Daniel looked across at Sam and nodded slightly in acknowledgement of his own thoughts from earlier.

"What makes you say that Ellie?" Sam prompted.

The morning before they moved him, I was giving him his usual wash down, and I was sure I felt his fingers twitch. He didn't seem to notice though. At first I thought it was my imagination and didn't think anything more of it. Later on when we were getting him ready for the transfer, he cried out as if he was in pain when they moved him."

"And..." Daniel hung on expectantly.

"Don't you see? He shouldn't have felt anything! I questioned Dr. Andrews about it and he said it was because Jack's neck would still be sore, but I'm certain it was because the ambulance technician jarred his legs."

"So what happened after that?"

"I don't know, Andrews sent me out of the way. He ordered me to fetch some equipment for him, and when I got back Jack was already gone."

"Do you know where they have taken him?"

"Well, I wasn't supposed to know, but a couple of days ago I did overhear Andrews talking to some guy dressed in a dark suit. He mentioned Colonel O'Neill by name and I'm sure they mentioned some place in Oregon, but I don't recall where exactly. Sorry, but, it just didn't seem right. It was odd and felt all wrong. Andrews wouldn't allow anyone in the room when he was treating Jack, and when I approached him again, he raged about me not being at all suitable for nursing and later I found out I had been fired."

"No that's fine Ellie, you did the right thing in coming to me. Now we're gonna take you somewhere where you will be safe for the time being. It's where we work. It's a top secret facility so you'll have to be confined for the time being, while we search for Jack."

"You've been a great help Ellie and we really appreciate you telling us your concerns. Jack is our friend as well as our leader," Sam said with a warm smile and a comforting hand on her arm. It was incredibly brave of the young woman to come forward in the face of danger with the information she had on Jack's real condition.

OoOoOoOoO

General Hammond welcomed them back and greeted Ellie with a warmth that surprised her considering he was a military General. These people, she realised, were just like family. She remembered Jack's tears and understood just how much it had hurt him not to have heard from them while he was lying there feeling miserable.

They all sat round a vast highly polished table in a long room. There was a large window in one wall, but it had some sort of a shield over it so she couldn't see out of it. General Hammond sat at the head of the table, with Sam and Ellie one side and Teal'c and Daniel opposite them.

Hammond had listened with patience as Ellie explained it all again for his benefit. He was angry at Jack's treatment and called for Dr. Fraiser to join them.

It took a few minutes for Janet to get there, but Ellie recognised her from her visit to the hospital.

Ellie was called upon to go through the details yet again, this time for Janet.

Janet was livid and was angry with herself for not checking Jack out thoroughly while she was there. She had seen the X-rays, the damage was extensive, there was no doubt about that, but Ellie's evidence was difficult to disprove too. She thought it over and came to the only explanation she could think of. That Andrews was hiding the truth; not only from her, but from Jack too.

"Doctor? Your thoughts?" Hammond asked.

"Sir, I'd say that for some reason Dr. Andrews was hiding the truth. Not just from us, but from the Colonel too by the sound of it. They must be using some sort of paralysing agent that numbs the body so that he can't feel anything, making everyone believe he was paralysed. Sir if that's the case then the Colonel might well be okay but we won't know that until we find him. Sir, I need to see what they have done to him. Judging by the way that Dr. Andrews kept turning Major Carter and Major Davis away, I'd say he was afraid..."

"He what?" Ellie interrupted. "You said that Andrews kept turning you away?" she gasped in surprise, turning to look at Sam.

"Yeah. We went there nearly every day to see the Colonel, but he kept making excuses that Colonel O'Neill was too sick, and then that the Colonel was refusing to see us."

"The bastard!" Ellie exclaimed.

"Whoa! What?" Daniel said trying to deflect Ellie's outburst. "Who? Why?"

"Dr. Andrews," Ellie said, her temper reaching boiling point. "Jack lay there all that time thinking you had all abandoned him."

"He what?" Sam cried in shock and her cry was echoed by Daniel and Janet.

"Jack was really upset that not one of his friends had been along to see him. Every day he would ask me if anyone had called, and every day I had to see the disappointment and heartbreak in his eyes because there were no messages and no visitors. I know for a fact that he felt he was all alone. That nobody cared."

Sam felt the tears well up behind her eyes and could see Janet wipe her eyes on the back of her hand. Daniel too, felt too choked up to make any comment. He was mentally kicking himself for leaving Jack there on his own. He should have insisted on staying and perhaps they wouldn't be in this mess now. They just had to find Jack. And soon.

Hammond leapt to his feet and hurried into his office. He shut the door behind him and they could hear him on the phone to someone. Sam guessed it was to the Pentagon and Major Davis.

TBC


	9. Where is Jack?

_Thanks for all your wonderful reviews once again – Hope you like this chapter too. Keep 'em coming...pretty please! Encouragement helps me to write!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

Hammond leapt to his feet and hurried into his office. He shut the door behind him and they could hear him on the phone to someone. Sam guessed it was to the Pentagon and Major Davis.

Chapter 9 – Where is Jack?

Daniel's office was filled with the sound of inquiries.

Sam replaced the phone again and picked the next number on her list and dialled, hoping that this time, she would be lucky. So far none of them had had any luck in locating the Colonel. She had been given all the listings for Salem, while Daniel was ringing all the numbers in Portland. Teal'c was calling those numbers in Eugene, whilst several others were trying the smaller towns. Ellie was helping Daniel go through his list, Portland being the largest city in the state.

Ellie was kicking herself for not taking more notice of the name of the care facility where they were sending Jack. Her thoughts were interrupted by Janet who was on the phone to a small town nursing home just outside of Pendleton. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen in on the conversation.

"That's right," Janet was saying, laying on her thick southern accent. "I feel such a fool for losing your address, but I just knew it was in that area somewhere. Why, thank you Miss Stratton, that's real kind of you. That's right, he didn't want to see anyone, except his family of course. My brother always was a bit of a hermit, and now he's just climbed right back into his shell. I promised our dear mama that I'd keep my eye on him; god rest her soul." Janet rolled her eyes at the others while listening to the woman confirm that Jack was a patient there.

Sam sniggered, but held the bubble of excitement and anticipation in check, waiting with bated breath for Janet to finish so they could get going.

"Jus' let me write that down now a'fore I done go and forgit it agin."

She found a pen thrust into her hands and a piece of paper shoved on the table ready. She wrote an address down and then tried hard to get rid of the Miss Stratton. That woman could talk the hind leg right off a donkey.

"Janet," Sam called.

"There now, my daughter is callin' for me. I have to drop her off at her friend's a'fore I leave. She's staying with her girl friend for a few nights. Bye now!"

Janet dropped the phone with a sigh of relief, and to a round of applause for her acting abilities.

"So, where are we headed?" Daniel asked quickly.

"It's an institution for the severely disabled south of Pendleton on route 395. Miles from anywhere. They certainly didn't want us to find him."

"Yeah, well let's hope we have," Daniel sighed. Now all they had to do was get there and convince Jack to come back. That is was all a stupid mistake...well, more than that really, but that was neither here nor there right now. All that mattered was that they got to him before any could happen to him.

Teal'c, Sam, Daniel and Janet made a bee-line for the door, ready to leave with Hammond's blessing. They had a special medically equipped helicopter on stand by for their expected journey.

Ellie felt miserable. She had heard the name, but it hadn't register until Janet mentioned where it was. She was left with a guard watching over her, and she wondered what they would do with her now.

Sam poked her head round the door again.

"Ellie?" she said, "You coming?"

Ellie brightened up at the prospect.

"Can I?"

"Of course. Jack knows you and you might be the only one he'll listen to right now. You may have to convince him it's all been a hoax."

Ellie nodded and hurried after Sam and out into the sunshine. They piled into a transport and were driven to Peterson, straight to where the fully equipped CH-47 Chinook helicopter was waiting."

OoOoOoOoO

The building was impressive, a huge red brick Victorian edifice standing in beautifully tended grounds.

The hired ambulance followed the sedan, and the hummvee waited by the gates as they made their way up the sweeping driveway until it reached the imposing arched doorway. It was decided that they used a civilian ambulance and sedan so as not to arouse suspicions.

The little cortege stopped at the main entrance and Janet climbed out along with Ellie. They thought that perhaps it might be easier if just the two of them went in to see the Colonel first. The others would wait in the car for further instructions. In her black bag Janet also carried a radio should she need to summon help in a hurry.

Janet put on her southern accent again when they were greeted in the entrance hall.

"Can I help you folks?" the middle aged woman asked almost as soon as they stepped through the door.

"Well, I'm sure you can, honey, yeah. I spoke to a Miss Stratton on the phone 'bout my brother," Janet said with a wide smile.

"Miss Stratton isn't here right now, perhaps I can help? I'm Dr. Jessie Appleby. I'm one of the junior directors here."

"We've come to see Jack O'Neill. I understand from Miss Stratton that he was transferred here recently. I kinda lost track of him and then out of the blue I had a phone call to say he'd been in a real bad accident. I'd really like to see him just to make sure he's being well cared for."

"Oh yes, I know the poor man. If you'd like to follow me, I'll take you to his room. He's settled in quite quickly, though he's been very lonely. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you. He was quite adamant that he didn't want to have any visitors, but I think this will be a nice surprise for him, after all, you are his family."

Janet smiled sweetly and she and Ellie exchanged glances behind the woman's back, hoping that they could persuade Dr. Appleby to allow them to enter his room alone. It could be extremely awkward if she was to hover in the background.

They took the elevator to the second floor and walked along the wide corridor until they reached a room on the far left. There was a small square window set into the door and Janet had a quick peek through it to see the layout of the room.

Jack was lying in a specialized bed, and was facing the window so he hadn't seen her glance in at him. He appeared to be asleep. She could see the tube attached to the ventilator and cursed Dr. Andrews and whoever else it was that had done this to her friend.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to see him on our own," Janet said shyly, smiling sweetly up at the taller woman and batting her eyelids.

"Of course my dear. I'll leave you to it. There's a call bell to the side of the bed, just buzz if you need any assistance."

"Thank you, but I'm sure we'll be just fine!"

They waited for the woman to disappear round the corner before Janet dared to enter the room. She felt like she was entering the lion's den. Any minute now Jack would turn and see her and then she would probably have a fight on her hands to stop him reacting badly.

Ellie was the one who stepped up to the bed and touched his cheek, drawing his sleepy attention from the view outside.

His eyes tracked back to see the nurse standing there with a wide smile.

"Ellie?" he gasped unsure if he was dreaming or not.

"Hi Jack. How're you doing?"

He could see there was someone hiding behind Ellie, but he didn't ask who it was, thinking that it was just another nurse.

Jack sighed, closing his eyes.

"Okay I guess. What are you doing here?" he asked painfully slowly thanks to the tube's pumping action.

"Actually, I've come to tell you a story," Ellie began. Jack looked up at her with a frown.

"What?"

"It's a story about a really nice guy who had an accident one day, and was told by the doctor that he would never be able to do anything for himself again."

"Ellie," Jack sighed. "I already know this one. Why are you really here?"

"Because we've been looking all over for you Colonel," Janet said, coming out from behind Ellie.

Jack cried out, shaking his head in denial.

"Nononono Doc. Leave me alone. For cryin' out loud, just leave me in peace will ya! I don't need your pity or..."

"Colonel!" Janet said using her best commanding voice. "I know what you said about not having visitors, but this time it's different. Just hear me out will you! Please Jack!" her voice softened with the plea.

Jack closed his eyes and wanted to put his hands over his ears but of course he couldn't move his hands up to do that. He couldn't move at all. A tear leaked from each corner of his eyes, and he turned away, but Janet dropped her voice to one of the caring friend, and she cupped his cheek in her palm, bringing his face round to meet hers once more.

"God, Jack. What have they done to you? Sir, this isn't real!" she whispered, making him frown. Pulling herself into professional mode so that she could do this, she began to explain.

"Colonel...Jack," she sighed sorrowfully. "This is all one very big deception. You. Are. Not. Paralysed. Do you hear me? These people have been drugging you with a sedative of some sort to make it appear that way. That's why you can't move. We need to get you back to the SGC so that we can counteract the drug and allow you to recover. At this point I don't know how much damage the actual accident caused, but you are not staying here. I have Teal'c and the rest of your team plus a few SF's waiting outside for my word."

He listened, only because he had no choice, but the words didn't make any sense. This was all a hoax? How? Could he...how could they have done that? Why? Who would do such a thing?

He opened his eyes and looked up into Janet's face wanting to know if she was just placating him into agreeing to the move, or if she was telling the truth. Was his body really okay? He was sure now he was just dreaming, or was it wishful thinking? Yeah, that was it. Wishful thinking. He was gonna wake up any minute and find out it had been nothing more than a dream.

"Doc?" Was she real or was she a figment of his imagination?

"It's true Jack. I was there when they moved you right?" Ellie added.

He nodded. He remembered her being sent away for some reason. He'd never gotten the chance to say goodbye to her and that too had hurt. He liked Ellie; she was a good nurse.

"They hurt you. You cried out in pain. Dr. Andrews said it was because your neck hurt, but you yelped only when one of the men jarred your legs. Think back Jack. Your fingers twitched in my hand. Can you remember feeling that?"

Jack closed his eyes and tried to recall that day. He'd been sedated for the journey, but now he thought about it, he could recall the sudden pain, but he was woozy at the time and it didn't register.

His eyes widened with realisation and disbelief; a wild hope igniting in his chest, but it was quickly smothered by fear.

"They knew?"

Janet nodded sadly.

"What if you're wrong? What if you get me back only to run your tests and find out they were right?" he asked worriedly. Deep down he was afraid to learn the truth.

Ellie took his hand and rubbed her thumb over his knuckles, not that he could feel it.

"Trust me Jack. That's all I ask, that you put your trust in me and your friends to know what's for the best. You're not alone any more Jack," she said with a warm smile as her tears fell silently down her cheeks. "Your friends are here to help you. And me too!"

Jack was moved to agree.

"Okay Doc," he said, his voice wavering with emotion. "Take me home!"

TBC


	10. Not Out of the Woods Yet

_Thanks once again for all your wonderful reviews. Things are improving, I swear! Hope you enjoy this chapter too._

_I've actually caught up with myself now, so chapters might be a little slower in coming. Sorry!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:_

Jack was moved to agree.

"Okay Doc," he said, his voice wavering with emotion. "Take me home!"

Chapter 10 – Not Out of the Woods Yet

Janet nodded and radioed for the others to move in.

She could hear the rumpus from down the corridor getting nearer as the ambulance technicians wheeled the specially equipped gurney towards Jack's room. Sam and Daniel hurried in and both were smiling and crying at the same time. Teal'c hovered behind them and helped fend off the hospital's security guards along side the USAF security detail assigned to protect them.

Sam was so happy to see Jack again, and ignoring the others in the room, planted a kiss on Jack's brow. She was scared by the sight of him, he looked so haggard and ill; his body only half the size of the man she knew. It pained her to see him like this, but the important thing was that they had found him and she could put it right.

Jack looked shocked but gave her a small smile of relief.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"So am I. I love you Jack!" she whispered in his ear, making his smile widen and more tears to form behind his eyes. He must be getting soft in his old age, he thought. "I've missed you so much," she added.

"It's great to see you again Jack. I'm sorry. If only I had stayed that day, we might have discovered this earlier."

Jack was too choked up to answer his friend, but nodded. There would be plenty of time for talking later. He'd missed this. He'd never felt so alone as he had these past weeks.

Janet adjusted the equipment and hooked Jack up to the portable equipment for the journey to the SGC. They all lifted him as gently as possible onto the gurney, surprised at how much weight he'd lost. He weighed next to nothing. Once he was settled and covered over, Janet fiddled with all the gear needed to maintain his vitals once more. She couldn't just switch off the machines without knowing the extent of any damage he may still be suffering from. She would have to wean the drugs out of his system first, before she could see the real problems, if there were any. As an afterthought Janet snatched up the notes on the bottom of Jack's bed. She might as well make use of their records. It might help.

Jessie Appleby demanded to know what was going on and why they were removing the patient.

Janet ignored her ranting until she reached the entrance, then she turned on her. She may have been short but she could take anyone down a peg or two with her own firebrand method of giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed. Only this time she was beyond livid with these people for what they had done to the Colonel.

"You and your directors will be hearing from the Pentagon over this. Don't be surprised if you lose your licence to practice Doctor," she spat venomously.

Janet climbed up into the ambulance and watched as the doors shut behind her, the others piled into the back of the sedan and the hummvee. The three vehicles setting off to the place where the Chinook was waiting for them.

In the background Jessie Appleby was yelling at her staff and running into the entrance hall waving her hands in the air. She wouldn't get far, the Police had already been called to investigate and were on their way with a medical team and warrants for her arrest, as well as Miss Stratton's, and they were armed with a search warrant. Perhaps Jack hadn't been the only unfortunate victim of their little scam.

Even the relatively short trip to the helicopter had tired Jack, and Janet had been watching over him like a hawk all the way. She could tell he was weak. His muscles would have atrophied all the time he had been lying there unable to move. She doubted whether they had set up a programme of exercises to keep his limbs supple, it certainly hadn't looked like it. He would need a lot of physical therapy to get them moving again and to build up the strength in them once more. Looking at him now, he was little more than skin and bone, his cheeks had sunken and his skin hung loose. It was going to be a long haul, but hopefully Sam might be able to shorten that considerably. If Sam could repair the damage, then with a lot of encouragement, Jack could accomplish the rest.

OoOoOoOoO

By the time the Chinook touched down on the helipad at Cheyenne mountain, Jack was showing signs of distress. Janet hadn't given him anything to help him because she was as yet unsure of what they had been giving him, which wasn't helping him. She had been reluctant to give him any more medication until she knew what exactly they had been pumping into him all this time; the notes she had been reading weren't at all specific.

On hitting the infirmary she started barking out her orders for X-rays, MRI's, scans, blood tests, etc., in fact, everything she could think of. She want a complete picture of Jack's body before she removed any superfluous equipment, or gave him anything for the pain that she knew he would soon be feeling when she weaned him from the paralysing agent. The gurney carrying Jack, with Janet and Ellie hurrying alongside, disappeared into the infirmary and the door firmly shut on everyone else.

General Hammond arrived too late to see his 2IC, but judging by the look on the anxious faces of his team, it was probably about as bad as he imagined it to be.

"Did you have any problems Major?" he asked Sam.

"No sir. They weren't expecting us. When we left we passed the police officers on their way. I don't think anyone had time to escape sir. One of the director's was missing, but I doubt she'll get away. At this point in time there's no knowing who or how many exactly were involved General."

"Good work SG-1. How is he?"

Daniel looked down at the floor and Sam could barely keep the tears from flowing.

"O'Neill has lost an inordinate amount of weight General Hammond. Dr. Fraiser has expressed her concerns about this," Teal'c said, excusing his team-mates from answering the question which neither of them could find the words to describe Jack's pathetic condition.

"I see. Apart from that?" he persisted. He was desperate to know how Jack was. He'd been stuck on base for hours just waiting for news.

"Quite frankly General, he's a mess," Daniel sighed, swiping his glasses from his face, squeezing his eyes shut tight and pinching the bridge of his nose hard.

For a moment, Hammond had visions of losing Jack after all; that they were indeed too late after all they had done to find him. Surely it couldn't be that bad?

They all fell into a tense silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. It seemed like hours before the infirmary doors opened and Janet stepped out. Daniel looked at his watch when he saw Janet's exhausted features, realising that it had been hours.

Sg-1 had stayed put, but General Hammond had been recalled to his office, but now he had returned to hear the news. He only just arrived when Janet put in an appearance. The others leapt to their feet, except Teal'c that is, who rose sedately, even gracefully.

"Doctor?" Hammond needed only to say her name for her to give him what he wanted to hear.

Janet took a moment to gather her tired thoughts. She pulled the rubber gloves from her hands with a snap, hoping she could strangle Dr. Andrews and his colleagues whomever they were. Jack didn't deserve this.

"To be blunt sir, his legs are a mess. The X-rays show that both legs were indeed shattered in the accident, but the bast..." she stopped, pulling together the last vestiges of professionalism she could muster. "...they didn't set them properly sir, if at all. They left his legs as they were... there's no way he could walk with them in that condition." she paused while Sam stifled a sudden sob; her hand flying upwards to cover her mouth. "The drugs used on him were a paralysing agent I've never come across before sir. They blocked any messages from the brain, completely disrupting the neural pathways, making it impossible for him to feel anything, yet it didn't affect his heart. Sir, I would say this was something from off-world. I've never seen anything quite this intense sir, and I don't think anyone on earth would know about it either. It has to be something to do with either the NID or maybe an alien influence."

Hammond thought it most likely to be something the NID had dreamed up. Or, and god help them if it was, it had something to do with Maybourne and the missing Goa'uld in the form of Adrian Conrad. He could be the only one with such knowledge. He didn't like the idea that a Goa'uld was out there at best, but now had he started to pick off his best team. Having gotten Jack out of the way like this, would he have started on the others? It didn't bear thinking about. What did Maybourne hope to gain from it? His brow deepened when a sudden thought came to him. If the Goa'uld and Maybourne were behind this, then Jack's accident had to have been planned.

Hammond nodded his agreement with her thoughts. He could totally believe that now.

"So, what can you do for him?"

"Well, for a start, I'm weaning him off the drug gradually, but I don't know how he is going to react yet sir. And then there's the prospect that he's going to be in a lot of pain when the feeling does return to his legs. I won't be able to give him anything for the pain without knowing what, if any, adverse reactions he might suffer if my drugs were incompatible with the alien one. Then it's a case of Sam being able to use the hand device if we haven't heard from Thor or the Tok'ra in the meantime. I'm not even sure that the device can put right the amount of damage done sir. It could be permanent.

"I see. I'm sure you will do your best Doctor. May I see him for a few moments?"

"Yes sir. I've had to keep the ventilator in I'm afraid, but only until the drug has been cleared from his system and his lungs have recovered. At the moment it is the only thing keeping him alive; he can't breathe on his own yet sir."

Hammond nodded and prepared himself to enter the infirmary and see for himself the condition of his friend and subordinate.

Even though he'd psyched himself up for the inevitable, it still came as a shock to see Jack lying there, pale and gaunt and so very still. It unnerved him. For a moment, he had visions of his poor wife during her last days, reliant on the ventilator until the time came to switch it off. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he ventured any nearer.

"Jack?"

Jack fought his way through his exhaustion to open his eyes and look up at the person who had spoken.

"Sir," he sighed with a weary smile.

"How're you doing son?"

Jack's ventilator sucked noisily as he tried to talk over it.

"Been better sir," he said, grinning. It was good to be home, among friends, and best of all to know that he wasn't totally paralysed. He could barely wait for the drugs to wear off, though Janet had warned him it might prove to be painful too.

Hammond couldn't help but admire the man. He'd been through more than any man ever should, and yet, sick as he was, he was ready to smile.

"And you're going to get better too son. That's a promise!"

Jack sighed with regret. The news that his legs were damaged hadn't been welcome, but Janet had also promised that Sam would use the healing device on him so it may not be a problem any more.

"Do we know who was behind all this sir?" Jack asked, pulling Hammond from his straying thoughts.

"From the evidence so far, I'd say we have a pretty good idea it would have to be Maybourne and that missing Goa'uld Jack. Dr. Fraiser has said that the drugs used to suppress the feeling to your limbs was of alien origin."

"Rat Bastard!" Jack spat. He was sooo gonna kill Maybourne when he got hold of him. Obviously shooting him in the basement of that hospital hadn't worked so they'd tried to get rid of him another way. What he was going to do to that sneaky little rat Maybourne was nobody's business. Killing him would be too good and far too quick.

Hammond laid a hand on Jack's shoulder to catch his attention before he'd remembered that Jack couldn't feel it. He withdrew his hand in embarrassment before Jack noticed his mistake.

"Jack?"

Jack opened his eyes again, and despite the lack of the usual sparkle there, he could see that Jack would settle for nothing less than to do unmentionable things to the disgraced former officer.

"Sir?"

"Give it time Jack. We'll get them. That's a promise!"

"Yes sir!" Jack said. His eyes drifted closed and Hammond left him to rest.

On leaving the infirmary he spotted Ellie who was approaching Jack, making sure he was comfortable. He saw how good she was with him and how Jack accepted her help. Without her none of this would have been possible. Jack would still be lost out there somewhere. How long they would have kept him alive was anyone's guess? They owed this young woman a great deal.

He had an idea and called Janet to his office for a conference.

TBC


	11. Tension

_Sorry to keep you waiting. I've had company again for just over a week and it was difficult to get much writing done. Having said that, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!_

_Thanks to everyone for all the reviews once more. I couldn't live without them! I love to read your comments._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

On leaving the infirmary he spotted Ellie who was approaching Jack, making sure he was comfortable. He saw how good she was with him and how Jack accepted her help. Without her none of this would have been possible. Jack would still be lost out there somewhere. How long those people would have kept him alive and like that was anyone's guess. They owed this young woman a great deal.

He had an idea and called Janet to his office for a conference.

Chapter 11 – Tension

"Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel didn't recognise the voice on the other end of the phone although it did sound familiar.

"Speaking," Daniel answered cautiously.

"How's Jack?"

"Excuse me? Who is this?" Daniel asked, curiosity eating at him.

"An old friend, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel gasped in recognition.

"May..."

"Don't say it Doctor," Maybourne interrupted quickly. He didn't have long to say what he needed to, and couldn't afford to get caught.

"You've got a nerve. Jack is sooo gonna kill you next time he sees you...in fact I'll do it for him. Why'd you do that?" Daniel demanded angrily.

"I didn't do it. I swear I didn't, but if you want to know who was behind both incidents, take a good look at your old friend Colonel Frank Simmons. He's hiding a mutual 'Friend', shall we say. I will tell you this though, Jack's little mishap was no accident Daniel. So, tell me, how is he?"

"Simmons? He's behind all this?" Daniel cried incredulously, ignoring Harry's enquiry about Jack. "And he's hiding Conrad?" He paused as Harry's words sunk in at last. "They arranged for Jack to be run off the road?" Daniel's mind was exploding with all this shocking new information.

"I just said that didn't I?" he sighed needing to hurry. "Look, how's Jack? Just tell me he's gonna be okay will ya!" Harry Maybourne snapped impatiently. Time was getting short.

Daniel hesitated. Janet had said he'd recover but he may still have problems.

"I can't say," Daniel sighed, his voice heavy with regret. "Jack's legs were badly broken in the accident and that so called Doctor didn't set them properly. He may have to retire after all on medical grounds." He couldn't say anything about Sam trying her best with the healing device, at least, not over the phone.

Maybourne couldn't believe his ears. Jack may have been the one to bring him to justice, but he'd not held it against him; in fact, heaven forbid, he was beginning to like the man. It took him a while to find his voice again.

"I can't do much, but I'll do a little more digging. Jack knows how to contact me, if he needs to. Tell him... well, tell him I'm sorry, but I'm not his enemy."

With that, the phone emitted a wail to show that the connection had been terminated.

Daniel replaced the phone, thinking over Harry's words. In a way it was a big relief to know that Maybourne wasn't the one responsible for treating Jack that way. The disgraced former Colonel was turning out to be a likeable rogue; one that had been instrumental in getting Sam back when Conrad had held her captive. But...

Simmons?

Wow!

Go figure! The man was just as much a thorn in their side as Maybourne had been...only he was proving a lot worse!

So, it was he who was hiding the Goa'uld on Earth and therefore must be responsible for shooting Jack that time, leaving him for dead, and escaping with Adrian Conrad, now host to the missing Goa'uld.

He had to see the General, and then Jack.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel found the General's office empty. Only Walter was there with some paperwork he was putting into the General's 'in' tray.

"Have you seen General Hammond?" Daniel asked the sergeant.

"He's in the infirmary Dr. Jackson. I thought you were supposed to be there too?"

Daniel checked his watch. Damn! He was late, having completely forgotten the time.

He ran from the room and snagged the first elevator, hitting the button for the infirmary floor. He bounced on his feet impatiently, waiting until the car stopped before dashing down the corridor to Jack's room.

He stepped into the room to see the rest of his team-mates, along with General Hammond and Janet, surrounding Jack's bed.

The Colonel appeared to be asleep, and Janet was adjusting the monitors at his side. Sam was in tears, being comforted by Teal'c whilst Hammond looked on frowning angrily.

"What happened?" He demanded, having guessed that he'd missed something major.

Hammond turned to him with a sigh, uttering a few terse words before he stalked from the room, frustration oozing from every pore.

"It hasn't work," he'd said.

Daniel gasped in disappointment. No wonder Sam was so distraught. But, maybe it would take a lot more sessions with the hand device before Jack showed any signs of improvement.

He stepped up to Sam, engulfing her in his strong arms, comforting her with his soft voice and pleading with her to persevere.

"Don't give up Sam. You have to keep trying. It might take a little longer, but don't give up on him. Please!"

Sam sobbed into his chest. She'd tried her best, but it was difficult and her concentration kept wavering, so the device kept stalling. She felt useless, unable to do this for Jack when he needed her so much.

Their attention was taken at that moment by Jack who started the thrash feebly; his limbs jerking spasmodically. It was something they never thought they would see again, after lying so unnaturally still since the accident.

Jack's head thrashed from side to side as he muttered a whole string of unintelligible words, then fell silent before the writhing grew worse.

"Janet?" Sam cried as his body jerked and spasmed.

"He's having a seizure!" Janet yelled, jolting her staff into action.

Daniel and Sam helped to hold his body down while Teal'c held onto Jack's ankles so that he couldn't kick out, hurting himself or anyone else. After a moment Jack calmed and lay still once more, sweat beading on his brow.

Janet leaned over him and wiped his forehead with a cool dampened cloth.

"What's wrong with him Janet?" Daniel asked, stepping nearer to the bed, his hand automatically reaching out to take his friend's hand in his on the premise of keeping it from flailing.

"It's the withdrawal Daniel. He's developed a fever which is spiking again. I think he's also in a lot of pain from his legs, but until I get a clearer idea of what's going on inside him, I daren't give him very much medication to take the pain away. It could make matters worse. I need to take another blood sample to see how well that drug is dissipating. It's a good sign though; it does indicate that his nerve responses are good."

After a few moments of further tension Jack's body spasmed again slightly, then he slumped back into a quiet, exhausted sleep and Janet replaced the cloth with another cooler one. Sam took it from her hands and began to smooth it over his heated brow, allowing the Doctor to take her blood sample.

Janet smiled as Sam took over, and checked his pulse once more. She patted Sam on the shoulder and reached for the needle.

"Like Daniel says Sam," she said as she drew the Colonel's blood. "we can't give up on him. I'll get some more X-rays done and we can compare them with the earlier ones to see if there has been any improvement from the device.

Sam nodded silently, sniffing back the residue of her tears, forgotten in the sudden crisis.

OoOoOoOoO

She sat beside his bed long after the others had retired on Janet's orders. Janet had been pleased that the newest X-ray results had shown a slight improvement, and this had encouraged Sam and boosted her confidence in her ability to use the healing device once more after she had rested.

On Janet's orders, a small cot was set up for Sam to rest on after she had used the Goa'uld healing device. The energy it sucked from her was exhausting in itself but Sam continued to use it on a regular basis; though Janet forbid her to use it for very long. Five to ten minutes at a time and only once in every twelve hours. In between that, Janet took more X-rays and fresh blood samples.

Hammond was aware of just how much the effects of this trauma were having on Sam and he called her into the office after he'd seen her holding Jack's hand and talking to him softly while he slept, all the while wiping the sweat from Jack's brow. He'd always suspected a closeness between them, but until now, he had been loathe to mention it because of their obvious professionalism; putting their duty to the AF before their own personal needs. He could see that the whole deal would need to be redressed now before it got out of hand. Rumours about them were already rife, running through the base like wildfire. He needed to clear things up before anyone outside learned of their 'connection'.

Sam knocked on the open door and stood waiting for Hammond to acknowledge her.

The General looked up and smiled sombrely, beckoning her into the room. He took notice of her weary features; the bags under her eyes through lack of sleep; the tiny lines of worry now creasing her forehead and the way her shoulders slumped, where once she had always been alert and ready for action, now she looked careworn and miserable.

"Take a seat Major. We have something important to discuss."

TBC


	12. Improvement

_Thanks to everyone who sent in a review. I really do love them, thanks._

_Here's another chapter, and I know you are all dying to know what the General had to say to Sam; sorry, but you will have to wait a little longer...next chapter, I promise. Got some fluff coming your way soon._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

The General looked up and smiled sombrely, beckoning her into the room. He took notice of her weary features; the bags under her eyes through lack of sleep; the tiny lines of worry now creasing her forehead and the way her shoulders slumped now, where once she had always been alert and ready for action, she looked careworn and miserable.

"Take a seat Major. We have something important to discuss."

Chapter 12 – Improvement

Jack fought to open his eyes. His eyelids were so heavy and kept trying to close again. With a supreme effort he managed to force them open enough to see a blurred shape hovering over him.

"Jack?"

"C'mon, open up. Let's see those chocolate eyes of yours!" the person laughed.

He knew that laugh, but couldn't place from where. Confusion swamped him. He thought he was in the hospital...he'd been in a hospital, but the ceiling here was grey, like those of the infirmary at the SGC, and the voice didn't belong there.

He tried hard to focus.

"That's it Jack. You can do!" she encouraged.

With his coming awareness, his memory returned. He was at the SGC. He remembered that. The journey had been long and tiring. He recalled Janet fussing over him, but other than that, he couldn't really recall much since he'd arrived. Maybe it was the drugs?

"Ellie?" He was surprised to see her here.

Her grin was wide and lit her eyes with a sparkle.

"The very same!" she replied, adjusting his bedclothes.

She laid a hand on his brow and the smile deepened. Pressing the buzzer she couldn't help release a deep sigh of satisfaction.

Jack looked round; he was definitely at the SGC.

"You've been quite poorly Jack," Ellie stated, seeing his confusion. "Do you not remember anything?"

"Ah...No! Not really. It's all just a fuzz of mixed memories. What happened? What are you doing here?"

"Colonel!" Janet exclaimed happily as she entered the room, seeing him awake. "How are you feeling?"

Jack shrugged and both Janet and Ellie grinned widely.

"What?" he asked puzzled at their reaction.

Janet took his hand and asked him to squeeze it as hard as he could.

He did so without question when understanding sank in at last.

"I can move!" he cried. He lifted his other hand, though it still didn't feel like it wanted to do what he wanted it to, but it was a definite improvement. "How...?"

Janet released his hand and patted his shoulder.

"You weren't paralysed sir. You did hurt your neck in the accident, but it wasn't broken. I'm sure Sam or Daniel would explain it all to you in detail, but for now, just relax and regain your strength. You have a long way to go yet Colonel. We don't know why, but someone arranged for the accident and Dr. Andrews was paid to make you believe you were paralysed. They also arranged for you to go somewhere, far away, and with your help, being so stubborn and all," she added with a wry grin, "we weren't able to find you for some time. If it hadn't been for Ellie here, you would still be there believing you were no longer of any use."

She help up her hand to stop his flood of questions.

"Your vitals and movements are improving everyday, but as for your legs, well, they're going to take longer. They were badly broken and I've pinned them back as they should be as far as I can. Sam has been working on them every day with the healing device; it is slow going, but it is working sir. At the moment I've got you on some powerful pain meds to help with the pain. And I have some good news; the drugs they were giving you are now out of your system, and what we need to do now is to remove the breathing tube so that you can breathe on your own once more. Then we work on your muscle tone. You've lost a lot of weight and that needs building up too. You'll find it exhausting and wearing, but if you want to get back onto active duty, then it's the only way to go Colonel."

It was a lot to take in but he nodded in acknowledgement though he still didn't understand the 'Why', as yet, but Janet had said that his team would explain it to him. One good thing was getting rid of the damn tube; it was annoying and uncomfortable and he couldn't wait to see it go.

"So, just a little bit of work on me then?" he snarked, angry at whoever had done this to him. "When?" he asked, indicating the tube with his chin.

"I've scheduled it for tomorrow sir."

With a satisfied nod, he looked up at Ellie once more, a frown deepening his furrowed brow.

"So why are you here?"

Ellie beamed, and dropped her eyes shyly.

"General Hammond offered me a post here. I was dismissed from the hospital in Sioux city by Dr. Andrews, and to cut a long story short, I helped Dr. Jackson to find you. Dr. Fraiser had very kindly allowed me to stay and help nurse you and then the General offered me this post. I'm sorry Jack, for all that you had to endure. If only I'd..."

"Hey!" he said, reaching out for her hand, holding onto his patience when it was slow to react, but still happy he could actually do that. Ellie's hand met his half way and he gripped it as tight as he could. "I don't blame you Ellie. It's not your fault!"

"That's what they all said, but…"

"Ellie! Don't!" Jack ordered sternly."

The nurse stopped and looked into those deep dark eyes and blushed with a nod.

"Okay," she sighed. "Though that still doesn't stop me from feeling guilty."

"This isn't your fault. It's the guy who paid Andrews and those others to keep me under. Blame them, not yourself. It's you I have to thank for getting me outta there. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't know any better and I'd still be there. Thanks!" He lay back tired, but happier than he'd felt in many weeks. All he needed to do now was to talk to Sam and say sorry. His eyes closed and it was almost beyond him to open them again, but he did; only to see Ellie leave, and Janet smile down at him, telling him to rest for now.

"Carter?" he murmured. He needed to see Sam.

"She'll be along in a minute Colonel. You just get some rest. She'll be here when you wake."

He nodded wearily and then gave in to the pull of sleep.

He didn't hear Janet exchange a few words with Sam at the door, nor the quiet footsteps that entered and stopped near the bed. Neither did he hear the quiet creak of someone settling into the chair at his side or the slight jostle of his hand as it was gently cradled and a thumb that caressed the back of his knuckles tenderly. But, he did dream of one AF Major accepting his apology and also the hand he offered to her in marriage.

OoOoOoOoO

The next day the operation to remove the tube went okay. Jack was out of surgery and had roused for a few moments after the anaesthetic but was now merely sleeping it off.

Sam had once again taken her place at his bedside, pleased to see the end of the tube and the respirator.

"Sam!" Daniel exclaimed excitedly bursting in through the door."

"Shhh! Daniel. You'll wake him up!" she admonished.

Daniel's voice trailed off as he froze in his steps.

"Sorry!" he apologised in a whisper when he saw his friend was sleeping peacefully.

"What's wrong," she asked softly, keeping her voice low, not wanting to wake Jack up.

"Andrews has finally been arrested. They caught up with him trying to leave the country. He was boarding a plane to Lima."

"Lima?" Sam gasped in surprise a little louder than she'd intended. "What's there for him at Lima?"

"Anonymity," came a gravely voice, just roused from sleep.

"Sorry Jack. Ah...we didn't mean to wake you," Daniel sighed in apology.

"Anonymity?" Sam asked, not sure if Jack was talking about Andrews or if it was just a word he muttered in his sleep.

Jack forced open his bleary eyes and blinked a few times, trying to focus.

"Andrews. No-one would question his medical qualifications from the US. Someone down there'd just be grateful to hire anyone who professed to be a doctor in one of those 'off the beaten track' places." Jack mumbled his explanation a little sleepily. He yawned and smacked his lips thirstily.

"Water?"

"Sure!" Sam reached over and filled the glass, holding the straw for him to suck at it greedily.

"Thanks," he sighed, feeling better.

"Yes, well, now they have him, maybe we'll learn some answers as to who and why they did this to you Jack."

Jack grimaced, looking up at Daniel hovering over him.

"Yeah, maybe. But don't pin your hopes on it Danny-boy. He may not know anything, only a name at the other end of the phone."

"But then again, he might Jack!" Daniel said pointedly arguing. Jack could be such a pessimist sometimes.

Jack turned away and gazed at Sam, and she fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment before turning to Daniel, but sent him a wide smile.

"Um...Daniel? Do you think we could...I need to talk...to the Colonel, that is..."

"Oh...um. Sure Sam. I...er...need to go translate something with Teal'c. I'll see you guys later!"

He glanced from one to the other and turned away with a smile on his face, leaving them to talk together. 'At last!' he sighed when he shut the door behind him.

TBC


	13. Revelations

_I couldn't keep you in suspense over their conversation any longer. I hope you enjoy this little bit of ship...still more fluff to come later._

_Thanks for all the reviews you guys sent in. I couldn't write without the encouragement you give me. Thanks!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

He glanced from one to the other and turned away with a smile on his face, leaving them to talk together. 'At last!' he sighed when he shut the door behind him.

Chapter 13 – Revelations

The soft click of the door shutting sounded loud in the silence of the room.

"Colonel..."

"Sam..." he said, dispensing with formality, and closed his eyes momentarily with a sigh. "Sam!" He was determined not to give her the chance to interrupt his little speech he'd rehearsed. If she stopped him now, he'd never get it out.

She fell silent, hanging her head at the tone of his voice, despite its quiet huskiness.

"I really need to apologise. I **owe** you an apology," he sighed with regret. "I'm really sorry for the way I reacted the other night. I should have been able to control myself better than that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." he paused, waving a hand in the air, searching for the appropriate wording. "...'react' like that. I should never have allowed myself that 'luxury'..."

"Jack... don't!" she said, effectively shutting him up with her finger pressed to his lips. "It was all my fault. I should never have kissed you. I'm the one who is sorry. More sorry than you will ever know. You could have died in that wreck. If you had, then I would never have forgiven myself."

She broke off while she gathered strength and fought to contain the tears that were rapidly filling her eyes.

"I wanted to kiss you Sam," he confessed. "I'd wanted to do that for so long, I just couldn't help responding the way I did. I'm sorry if it disgusted you," he sighed looking away in shame.

"What? Never Jack. It wasn't... I hated myself for pushing you. I just never realised how much I... You...? Oh god!" She'd cupped his chin to pull his face back so she could look him in the eye and tell him.

"Yeah, stupid huh?" Jack sighed, shaking his head.

"I know...I mean..." she hesitated, not wanting to push him into anything he didn't feel comfortable with. "It's just...I'd pushed you into it and I just wasn't...I never expected your reaction is all. I..."

"Sam," he sighed, looking into her watery blue eyes, "I was more than ready..."

"I noticed," she giggled, sniffing back the tears as she recalled the insistent pressure on her thigh that night. She was such an idiot.

He grinned back, and that lop-sided smile of his made her heart soar.

"We can't...I can't leave it like this Sam." His gaze was earnest and his words sincere.

"Me neither. So, what do you want to do about it?"

Jack sucked in a deep breath and held it momentarily before hereleased itloudly. He really didn't know how to say he was thinking of retiring. Hell, his condition was going to take a long time to put to rights. They were looking at months of therapy, Janet had warned. He couldn't expect Hammond to put SG-1 on stand down for that long. He had to move on, as much as he hated the choice, if she would have him, it would be better for both of them.

"That depends on what you want from me Sam," he prompted.

"Well, judging by your reaction, I'd say I know what you want from this. I would like for us to be together. I'm sick of leaving it in that room."

"Me too," he added with a big grin before she could finish.

"Really?"

"Of course. You have doubts?"

She shook her head; nope she was pretty sure, but how would he feel about the new proposals from General Hammond? She hung her head again, looking at the coverlet rather than into those dark eyes of his.

"General Hammond knows," she blurted out suddenly in the silence that had fallen between them.

"What?" Jack cried in shock.

"He says he's known for some time now that we were too close."

"Crap!" Jack sighed, running a hand over his face.

"He called me into his office for an explanation."

"Damn! So I guess that I'm gonna get a visit soon too, huh?"

"probably, but it's not as bad as you think Jack. It's okay. He's fine with it, except... Well, he has a proposal on how to settle everything, so that we can still work together and be with each other too."

"How's that?" he asked, gripping her hand tightly. He didn't want to be parted from her, not if he could help it.

"He's happy to leave things as they are for now, seeing as your away the team at the moment, but I'm to get a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in a few days. Then if we still feel we want to be together in six months time, I'll get another promotion making me a full bird Colonel. Two officers of equal rank working together on the same team...he said there wouldn't be a problem with the regs."

"In six months?"

"Janet assures me that it will probably be at least that long before you're fully fit for duty enough to take over SG-1 again," she grinned.

Jack grinned too. There are times when he knew he liked his CO better than others. Hammond was a wily old codger inside that hard military shell. He always said he was a teddy bear.

"And in the mean time I'll be at home where I will need at least one of my team to keep an eye on me. Now, who do you think Hammond will assign to look after me?"

"I can't imagine," she giggled. "though there will be times when I will have to be off-world of course, and I will have other duties to perform too. Because of my promotion, he's put in temporary command of SG-1 until your return, then we will both be leaders. Do you think you could accept that?"

"What about having your own team? Wouldn't you be better off, as much as I like the sound of you..."

"That's just it Jack. I will!"

"What? Did I miss something here? How?"

"Because, SG-1 is to be expanded. We're getting two more people joining us. They will be my team, while Teal'c and Daniel will still be yours, but we will always ship out together making it a six man double team, although you will still technically be in charge."

Jack sat there stunned by her revelation. Hammond had obviously gone into it with them in mind. He would have to thank him for that. No other senior officer would go to so much trouble to see them happy, and still able to serve together.

"And he's okay with this?"

"It was his idea. He said, that because we had shown that this thing between us hadn't interfered with the team dynamics before, he saw no reason to doubt it in the future. But, if any problems were to develop, then he would ultimately separate the teams."

Jack didn't know what to say. He could have his cake and eat it at this rate. Is this what she really wanted? he wondered. What did she see in an old battle-scarred veteran like him anyway?

"So you really want this?" he asked tentatively. "Me?"

"Jack. I want you more than anything," she said, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed, taking his hands in hers and kissing both along the knuckles. Leaning over, she pressed a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips, leaving him wanting more. "Is this what you want? You want that we could be together?" she asked, licking the taste of him from her lips with a dreamy sigh.

"Oh yeah!" he said, trying to meet her lips half way but failing. He dropped his head back to the pillow with a frustrated groan. His body wasn't quite up to this yet, but he was trying, and goddamn it he would win the fight back to health.

She soothed him by leaning down closer and giving him a deep scorching kiss which left him breathless and even more frustrated.

"Oh god Sam. I love you," he gasped, "You must know that, right?"

"If you hadn't noticed, I love you too Jack," she grinned, her smile wider than he'd ever seen it before, and it was just for him.

If it wasn't for his legs, he'd be the happiest man alive; but all that would change...in six months time, he'd have everything he wanted. SG-1 and Sam; what more could he ask for?

"So, you're happy with the arrangements?" she asked, brushing the hair from his brow with tender sweeps of her hand.

He closed his eyes and relished the contact. It felt so good after the last few months of despair and loneliness.

"Hmmm," he sighed happily. "More than!"

"Me too!" she agreed. "All you have to do now Jack is get better. I'll look forward to coming round and helping you."

He kept his eyes closed, relishing the contact, and that from now on it was legal. It was only moments later that Sam stopped because he had drifted off into a contented sleep.

She retook her seat but kept hold of his hand. Happiness and contentment curled up inside her and spread warmth throughout her body. She knew without a doubt that he would push himself hard to get back to fitness again, and she would be there with him all the way.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack sighed with impatience and pushed away the hands helping him. Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed and Daniel and Teal'c were helping to dress him.

"Daniel, you're not exactly helping ya know! You're trying to strangle me!"

"No I'm not Jack. I'm just trying to tie this tie for you." Daniel batted Jack's hands away and finished, satisfied at last with his efforts. Jack's shirt collar was way too big now, but it would have to do.

"If anyone were to strangle you O'Neill, I believe Dr. Fraiser would have done so by now!" Teal'c commented with a straight face.

Daniel burst into a fit of the giggles, but kept busy trying to get Jack ready for the ceremony. Jack just glared up at the Jaffa, who tilted his head up in defiance.

"A comedian huh?" Jack grouched. "I get no respect!" With another deep sigh, he allowed his friends to do what he couldn't and vowed to try and be patient with them.

He had struggled to dress himself but his fingers were still a little stiff and clumsy, his movements awkward and painful. He felt as weak as a kitten, as well as tired from the effort. Being upright for the first time in weeks, months even, had resulted in a doozy of a dizzy spell, but he was determined to be there; there was no way he was missing this for anything.

Once the tie was done, Daniel slipped the dress jacket over Jack's arms and fastened the buttons, while Jack silently cursed because it was such a simple thing to dress oneself, but right now even that was beyond his control. Daniel stood back looking at his best friend and sighed. The Jacket hung on the too slim frame, showing just how much weight Jack had lost. Jack looked down too, fuming at what had been done to him, but he didn't care about himself; today was all about Sam.

Teal'c and Daniel manoeuvred him into the wheelchair, carefully covering his lower half with a blanket and tucking it in round his frail frame to cover the fact that he wasn't wearing any pants as such, not with both legs in plaster.

"Are you ready O'Neill?" Teal'c asked the all important question.

Jack looked down at his baggy uniform with a sigh. He wasn't happy by any means, but it would have to suffice. Then he took in the sight of his legs, sticking out in front of him and nodded. Yeah, he was as ready as he'd ever be.

"Okay then kids; let's go!"

With that the trio proceeded down the corridors at a sedate pace, heading for the gate-room and Sam's promotion ceremony.

TBC


	14. Promotions & Propositions

_Thanks for the great reviews guys, I really do love them all, but I feel I must remind you that this is purely a story which is set in my own little fantasy universe, so anything goes – well, almost - within reason. _

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

With that the trio proceeded down the corridors at a sedate pace, heading for the gate-room and Sam's promotion ceremony.

Chapter 14 – Promotions & Propositions

When Jack entered the gate-room there was a spontaneous round of applause and cheers, making him redden with embarrassment although he was secretly pleased with his reception. He waved a hand to all around him, but his wide smile was for Sam standing at the base of the ramp, looking very smart in her dress blues.

Their eyes met and held each of them for a few moments, passing on their love and pride in the other. Sam dropped hers first before anyone else could notice and pass comment.

They parked the wheelchair next to her and took their places. Janet came and stood next to him too, just to make sure he didn't suffer any reaction to being out of bed for the first time. She rested her hand on his shoulder briefly as she bent down to ask him if he was okay.

"I'm fine Doc," he grumbled, despite feeling a little light-headed and shaky.

She straightened up again just as General Hammond entered the room and the ceremony began.

There were other promotions too, and Sam's was the last and the highest ranking. Jack was so proud of her he felt he would burst when she held her head high and recited her pledge. He just wished that he could be up there pinning the silver leaves onto her uniform.

He watched her salute Hammond and turn smartly to walk down the ramp, then she stood to attention in front of him and saluted him too. He snapped off a smart reply and grinned with pleasure.

He spent a few minutes after the ceremony chatting to General Hammond, thanking him yet again for his consideration concerning the regulations, and apologising for the umpteenth time for not advising him of their situation before now. Hammond brushed it aside, reassuring Jack that he had nothing to worry about, reminding him that he had just redeemed his soul and to concentrate on getting better.

As soon as the little celebratory buffet was over, Teal'c pushed Jack back to the infirmary and with Daniel, helped get him undressed and back into the bed. He felt drained, in pain and exhausted by the little he had achieved. At this rate, he thought, it was going to be every bit as long and hard a slog to recovery as Janet had warned. He lay back against the pillows, but refused to give in to sleep until a certain Lieutenant Colonel was by his side.

Fifteen minutes later that same woman, now dressed in blue BDUs, walked into the room, passing Janet on her way out.

"He's all yours honey, and good luck," Janet huffed after throwing her patient an exasperated glance over her shoulder. Sam was welcome to him, she thought; he was grumpy from exertion after his little jaunt.

Sam smirked and patted Janet on the arm before she smiled at the weary figure lying on the bed. He grinned back, but was more than happy to know she was here at last and that he could relax and let sleep overtake him. He couldn't be grumpy with Sam, no way. He just hated being fussed over by everyone, especially Janet. He'd managed to get rid of Daniel and Teal'c at last, but Fraiser had hovered, asking stupid questions about how he was, despite being told he'd felt fine.

"Hi!" she said, smiling broadly.

"Lieutenant Colonel," he replied with a huge beaming smile.

Sam giggled, and leaned in for a kiss.

"Don't expect that every time we're on the base," she chuckled. "General Hammond wouldn't approve."

"I know, but I'm an invalid so I think he'll look the other way right now."

"Just as long as you're in here and not out there Colonel!"

Sam jerked back as if she'd been burned to reveal the senior officer standing in the doorway.

"Ooops!" she whispered in an aside to Jack.

"General!" Jack said, though he could barely say it round the sudden yawn that caught him unawares. "Sorry Sir."

Hammond huffed and frowned at him, but amusement lit his grey eyes.

"That's okay son. I know you must be feeling tired after today's outing. I'll let you get some sleep in a minute." He turned to Sam with a nod. "At ease Colonel," he said, addressing her by her new rank with a smile, before speaking to them both. "I just received a phone call from Major Davis at the Pentagon. It seems you have some strange friends Jack," he said grinning. An anonymous tip off from someone who shall remain nameless, though we can all guess who it is, led them to find the driver of the truck."

"That's good right?" Jack asked, knowing full well, that Harry was on his case; though his instincts about the tone of Hammond's voice were screaming 'no' at him. there was more to it than Hammond had revealed so far. "Am I right in sensing there's a 'but', in there sir?"

Hammond nodded at him and Jack sighed. What now?

"The rig was found almost burned out some time ago, but nothing was thought any more about it as it was one of several that had been in a fire at a depot outside of Pittsburgh. Investigators have just managed to identify an object found on the floor of the cab. Lodged beneath the drivers seat they found a USAF service pin with a set of initials, engraved on the back." Hammond paused for a moment to draw a deep breath. "They managed to trace it back to it's rightful owner."

"And?" Jack could barely contain himself, all thoughts of sleep abandoned through the mounting tension.

Hammond rubbed his hand over his bald pate and sighed with frustration.

"It belonged to a Joe McAlister who was on a temporary assignment to the Pentagon security detail."

"Have they arrested him yet sir?" Sam asked eagerly, hoping that he might name some names that would help solve this mystery.

"No," Hammond replied succinctly, his face full of regret.

"No? Why the hell not?" Jack demanded angrily.

"Joe McAlister was found hanging from a beam in his basement a few days ago. They presumed it was suicide but now they're not so sure of it. Davis said they were looking into it further with an open mind. It could be that he couldn't live with what he'd done, or that he was a liability and was silenced. Either way, it doesn't help much, and if it was the latter, then it looks like they're worried we're getting closer. I'm sorry Jack."

Jack shook his head in disbelief and frustration. How many more people were they going to kill just to keep quiet over this? Was it really worth that much? Was it worth so many lives to keep him out of the programme? He was in doubt as to why they had chosen him; he'd made so many enemies in his time at the SGC; trodden on so many toes to ensure the SGC stayed on the front line. He felt drained. The earlier exhaustion had set in again with a vengeance. He closed his eyes feeling thoroughly spent, only to open them a moment later when he felt a hand to his shoulder.

"Get some rest Jack. Davis is good, he'll get to the bottom of this, I swear."

"Yes sir," Jack sighed, closing his eyes again.

Hammond nodded to Sam then left the room, his fists curling with annoyance at what they had done to Jack, and disappointed because he felt they were banging their heads against a brick wall; the rules just changed again and until they got to the bottom of this Jack was still vulnerable.

Sam lifted his hand in hers and brought it to her lips, worried when Jack didn't respond.

"Jack?"

Finally he opened his eyes with an effort and smiled wanly up at her, but there was no sparkle present in his eyes. He looked more tired and older than she had expected. And like him she just wanted this over. Done with, so they could get on with their lives and their all important work. She sighed inwardly, but smiled back, running a hand over his cheek tenderly.

"Go to sleep Jack. I'll be here. Always!" she whispered even as he gave a slight nod and drifted off.

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Frank Simmons climbed from his car, grabbed his briefcase and locked the door.

"Hello Frank! Up to your old tricks again I see?"

Frank Simmons startled at the sound of a voice, he never expected to hear again. He swung round slowly and tried to make out the shadowy figure standing between some bushes bordering his driveway. It was harder to see exactly where the man was hiding in the dark, made even darker by the thick clouds overhead on a moonless night.

"Maybourne," Simmons grunted in disgust as he registered the voice rather than saw who it was. "I could have you arrested for just being here!" he sneered, leaning back against the car and holding the case's handle in front of him with both hands.

"Really. Then I could have some very interesting tales to tell of a certain Colonel, standing not three metres away, and I'm sure those in the SGC would be very interested to hear them, and in particular Jack O'Neill; let alone a certain Senator who is paying for your services. He won't be very happy to know that your cover has been blown. Kinsey'll drop you like a ton of bricks Frank."

"You wouldn't dare. You never were the strongest link for the NID Maybourne. I believe you were often referred to, especially by Colonel O'Neill, as a... let me see now what was it? Ah yes... as a weasel," he chuckled, quite unperturbed by Maybourne's threat. "And besides, what judge in their right mind would accept the testimony of a disgraced officer who was court-martialled for treason and had been on the run. I don't think you have a very strong bargaining point there Harry."

"Oh, but that's just it Frank. I have!"

"You're bluffing."

"No. I'll leave that to you. See if you can bluff your way out of a court-martial," Harry sighed, remembering his own trial. "It's tougher than it appears. Believe me, I know!"

"I should have had you killed when I had the chance."

"Tut tut, Frank. That's not very friendly now is it? Not since I recommended you for the job too."

"And what you're proposing is?"

Harry shrugged and pulled a long face.

"Where are you hiding him Frank?"

"Excuse me? Hiding who?"

"Oh, come now Frank. I know you like to play games, but really; that Goa'uld will kill you at the drop of a hat and you know. Do you really believe you can control it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Frank denied, feeling a little hot under the collar, but thankful that Harry wouldn't notice his discomfort in the dark.

"I know you shot Jack, and I know you arranged his 'accident' plus the fact that you're hiding the Goa'uld. You're playing with fire and you will get burned. I learned from Jack that you can't trust a snake!"

"Bullshit!" Frank snorted in derision.

"And you're in it Frank. Right up to your neck! Oh, and don't think you can find a way to conveniently bump me off either. Every scrap of evidence I have on you and your cohorts is on disc and a copy will be delivered to the SGC and to the President if anything were to happen to me if I don't report to Dr. Jackson in..." Harry checked his watch. "...around an hour's time."

"What is it you want Harry? I have work to do, which is more important than standing around here chatting to you."

"Hand the Goa'uld over to the SGC Frank and leave Jack O'Neill and the SGC alone!"

"Jack O'Neill is a pain in the ass!"

"He's the real hero here Frank. Something you'll never be."

"And if I don't leave him and his little outfit alone?" Frank asked, ignoring the slight on his character.

"Then the evidence will suddenly find its way into General Hammond's 'in' tray, and also arrive on the President's desk."

"I still fail to see what evidence you have against me that will stand up in a court of law. In case you hadn't remembered, the knowledge about the Stargate and the Goa'uld isn't widely known. Are you going to risk blowing the whole secrets act apart?"

"What have I got to lose?" Harry chuckled, shrugging dramatically, falling silent.

A moment later, his voice echoed from somewhere further away.

"It's just a matter of time Frank. They already suspect you're behind Jack's 'accident'."

This wasn't news to Frank Simmons but the reminder spurred him into action. He listened for any sign of his former chief, but there was just the slight rustling of the bushes in the breeze. Harry had gone. He turned and hurried indoors, his cell phone in his hand already dialling.

TBC


	15. Progress

_Another chapter for all you lovely folks. Thanks for all your reviews once again! Just a little bit of fluff to lull you into a little sense of security... because you never know just what's around the corner._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

This wasn't news to Frank Simmons but the reminder spurred him into action. He listened for any sign of his former chief, but there was just the slight rustling of the bushes in the breeze. Harry had gone. He turned and hurried indoors, his cell phone in his hand already dialling.

Chapter 15 – Progress

"Absolutely not!"

"But..."

"No!"

"Jack!"

"Daniel!"

"It's helping you!"

"I know, but I don't want Sam using that thing on me any more! Got it?"

"You just need a couple more sessions Jack!"

"For cryin' out loud Daniel! NO!"

Jack sat up in bed, arms folded across his chest, his face betraying his resentment and annoyance that nobody was listening to him.

Daniel flapped his hands in the air and then slapped them in frustration against his thighs. Jack could be so goddamn stubborn sometimes. Like now. He was refusing to allow Sam to continue healing him.

"Why not?" Daniel asked again for the umpteenth time, hoping he'd get a decent answer this time.

"Because, Daniel, it is taking all her energy to do this when I can get better without it. It isn't necessary any more. God knows I needed it to begin with and I have the rest of my life to thank Sam for using it on me, but I don't think wearing herself out for me when it isn't necessary, is conducive to her own health. She has other duties to perform now that she is heading up SG-1. I'm fine...or I will be. I can manage on my own now. Thank you!" Jack snapped back. With that little speech over, he sat back breathlessly.

Sam had done her best and the once shattered bones in his legs were more or less healed. Very soon Janet would be able to get him walking again and had gone ahead and ordered his physical therapy sessions. He'd already been given gentle exercises after having the plaster casts removed, now it was a case of building up the muscle tone once more.

The short sessions he'd already endured were difficult and painful, and had left Jack sweating, exhausted, and nauseated. With the hardest part still to come, he wasn't looking forward to it at all, though he was determined to return to full fitness. He just didn't want Sam to wear herself out; as it was she always seemed tired lately, mainly due to working the hand device on him and then instead of resting to recuperate, she was working in her lab or leading SG-1 off-world. He couldn't allow her to do this for him at the expense of her own health. Enough was enough!

OoOoOoOoO

"Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack opened his eyes, rousing from a light doze, to study the amply built middle-aged woman standing by his bed. The short dark hair framing her chubby, and far too cheerful face. Dark eyes full of sparkle, lit up further when he nodded.

"That's me," he said, full of curiosity. "Who wants to know?"

"Hi," she said with a grin, "I'm Cindy your physical therapist."

"Ah," Jack sighed, knowing he was in for some torture. She would be able to take on Teal'c built like that, which didn't say a lot for his chances of survival. He was sure she was an exiled Shot-Putter from Bulgaria. "Well, do let's get started then," he said, and in an aside to himself, he added an 'Oiy!' for good measure.

Forget Teal'c and Daniel. She managed to get him into the wheelchair on her own and was pushing him rapidly down the corridors of the SGC to the room designated as her domain, which would be like a second home to him for the duration.

"They started out on gentle exercises, nothing too strenuous, and she was doing most of the work, but he knew that would change soon. Despite the few movements that she put him through, he still ended up exhausted, sweaty, and in pain; his pathetic muscles screaming for rest. Finished with his legs she started on his arms, hands and fingers, hoping to help with his dexterity after his prolonged inactivity. It had been frustrating at first to have someone feed him until he could use a fork or spoon again, but his wrist and fingers still needed some fine tuning.

Just one of the things she had ordered him to try, and which surprisingly he found rather relaxing, giving him the incentive to use his fingers without much thought, was doing jig-saw puzzles. She'd brought in a whole bag full so that he had plenty to do to while away his boredom when sitting up in bed or in the wheelchair up against the table in his room. Of course Daniel being Daniel, he couldn't resist helping him place several pieces whenever he popped in to see Jack, much to the Colonel's annoyance. Daniel often had his hand slapped away when he could no longer resist the temptation of adding a piece or two.

Life settled into a routine, with Jack being wheeled down to have physical therapy every day, and SG-1 setting off on another mission to save the world again or whatever, Jack thought miserably. He was sooo gonna miss them, especially Sam.

Nothing further was heard from either Maybourne nor Major Davis over the next few days.

Jack's strength grew daily while he endured the torture bestowed upon him by the powerful Cindy. With it, or rather because of his renewed strength, he had been allowed to move into his own quarters instead of being confined to the infirmary; though he still needed help with the mundane daily requirements, but it gave him a break from Janet and gained him some privacy; for which he was more than grateful.

By the time SG-1 returned from their mission, he was able to stand on his own two feet to welcome Sam back.

She hurried to his room, happy to know that he was progressing towards independence once more.

He'd heard the alarms ring out and his phone had rung, Walter was on the other end telling him that SG-1 had returned safely, and were on their way to the infirmary, but a certain Major was going to stop by as soon as she'd finished with her medical.

She would have loved to have thrown herself into his arms as soon as she'd stepped through the gate, but she wasn't going to risk everything by passing on a bug which they might possibly have picked up off world. Medical clearance first, shower and a change of clothes, and then Jack.

Jack picked up the phone and smiled.

Sam was on her way.

The others would follow shortly afterwards, but they would allow the couple to greet each other first.

Sam knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for his answer.

"Jack..."

"Stop!" Jack ordered, holding up his hand.

Sam stopped in her tracks. Waiting. Watching.

He pulled himself to the edge of the bed and stood up on shaky legs. He didn't know how long he could stay there but he wanted so much to hug her properly. It had been more than awkward whilst sitting in bed or his wheelchair.

"Ta da!" he announced, grinning, opening his arms out wide to welcome her.

"Oh Jack! That's great!" she cried, tears prickling behind her eyes. She hurried towards him, stopping just inches in front of him before she bowled him over. Their eyes locked, their hearts sang as they sought each others souls through the depth in their eyes. Jack wound his arms round her in a warm embrace, their lips met in a hunger only beginning to be quenched. Sam held on to him, almost supporting his shaking frame, before they broke apart and he fell backwards onto the edge of the bed when his legs finally gave out. He pulled her down with him, laughing.

It was a start to the long climb back to fitness, which Sam was more than happy to see after being away from him for several days. His progress had been amazing.

They both lay on the bed giggling; giddy with euphoria. He'd managed to do what he'd wanted to for so long, and she'd been so happy that he'd achieved his goal. He was breathless from the exertion, though Sam wasn't sure if it was because of putting everything into standing or from that wonderful kiss. Her giggling stopped when he grew more serious.

He reached for her cheek, caressing it gently. His fingers slipped round to the back of her neck, pulling her towards him so their lips were barely millimetres apart.

"Hey!" he whispered, unable to drag his eyes from hers.

"Hey you too!" she replied feeling her heart quicken with anticipation.

"I love you Sam."

She smiled broadly, lifting her finger to brush lightly against his lips.

"I love you too Jack."

He closed the miniscule gap between them with a kiss that stole their breath, filling the yawning cavern in their hearts.

After long moments he broke off, falling onto his back with a sigh, fighting to regain control of his body, taking calming breaths. He turned his head sideway to see a sappy smile on her face which made him smile too.

Sam took hold of his hand and held it while he recovered.

"Holy buckets!" he cried, panting still.

She giggled once more, gently nudging him with her elbow.

"That was some greeting!" he grinned. "You know you're gonna kill me at this rate! Wow!"

She sat up and made herself comfortable, then leaned in for a quick peck on his nose. She pulled him upright to sit beside her.

"You okay?" she asked, a trace of concern evident in her voice.

"Sure! More than okay. So, how'd the mission go?"

"Fine. Daniel found a new script to translate, so I doubt we'll see much of him for a few days. And Teal'c, well he'll be along in a minute. He said he just had to pick something up from the surface before he comes by."

"What's he been ordering on the internet now?" Jack asked, full of curiosity.

"That's something you're gonna have to wait to find out. I have no idea. He said it was a surprise for you."

"For me?"

"Indeed O'Neill!"

Jack's head whippedround to see the big Jaffa standing in the doorway with a large box in his arms.

Jack gaped at the size of the box and wondered what on earth it could be.

Sam was curious too, but she loved to see the little boy surprise look on Jack's face.

Teal'c walked in and stood imperiously in front of his friend.

"I put forth a proposal to General Hammond,to whichhe sought permission from those in higher authority in Washington. After much debate they were in agreement O'Neill. This is for you to help motivate you to exercise on a daily basis." Teal'c dipped his head and offered the box to Jack, placing it on the floor, so that Jack could open it and peer inside.

Jack frowned and pulled open the flaps to see a tiny puppy trying to climb his way out of the carton. His face lit up and he reached inside to pull out the most adorable little Collie dog he'd seen.

"General Hammond has permission to allow you to keep him here on the base, and until you are fit enough to care for him yourself, I have volunteered to see to his daily requirements."

The look on Jack's face was priceless as he cuddled the squirming bundle of fur.

TBC


	16. Puppy Dog Tales

_Sorry to keep everyone waiting for this, but now my other fic is finished, I can concentrate better on writing this one. Hope you enjoy this little break from all the angst._

_Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Keep 'em coming pretty please?_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

The look on Jack's face was priceless as he cuddled the squirming bundle of fur.

Chapter 16 – Puppy Dog Tales

"So what's his name Colonel?" Siler asked when he saw the puppy happily sniffing along the walls, his huge disproportional paws padding alongside Jack's wheelchair as Teal'c pushed him down the corridor for his physical therapy session.

"Actually, I thought about naming him 'Sparky', but that would only confuse people with you, so I'm gonna call him, Mac."

"Mack?" Siler asked confused. "Not Max?"

"Nope. Mac."

"Why?" Sam asked puzzled as she approached and overheard the conversation. This was the first she'd heard of it. Jack hadn't decided on anything when she'd seen him earlier.

Jack turned and looked up at her with a serious face.

"Mac, short for MacGyver, after that guy. You know the one; that guy on the TV that takes things apart to make all those handy little gismos to get himself out of trouble? He's always putting the world to rights an' all."

Sam's eyes widened in surprise and her eyebrows shot skyward, just like Teal'c's and Siler's did. He watched MacGyver?

"You are?" she gasped, shaking her thoughts free but still puzzling over the connection to the puppy.

"Sure I am. The little fella is just like him!" he said with a smug confidence, adding, "He's always takin' things apart." Jack called the dog and it leapt up onto his lap where he sat there stroking it.

Sam burst into laughter, her hand flying up to cover her mouth trying to contain her amusement.

"What?" Jack demanded, pouting indignantly.

"You can't call him MacGyver!"

"Who says?"

"But that's..."

"Unusual," Teal'c interrupted tactfully, seeing Jack's annoyance growing.

Sam took the hint and did her best to stop giggling, and Siler excused himself before Jack could blow a gasket. She'd calmed a little but shrugged her acceptance over his choice of name.

"Okay! Mac it is then," she said, giving in, "But just don't expect him to fix things again after he's ruined them."

Actually the name suited the dog. In the few days since Jack had been presented with him, he had just about shredded everything in Jack's room, from the stack of video tapes in the corner, to the armchair; and from the mass of cables leading from the TV and VCR to the spare pair of boots left under the bed for easy access.

Jack wouldn't be without him though, and Teal'c had been charged with taking the puppy for training sessions, with the rest of the base's security guard dogs, in the near future while Jack was unable to do this very basic necessity.

"You wanna look after him while I wear myself out for the next hour?" he asked of Sam before she disappeared on some errand.

"Sorry, he's all yours. I have work to do. I need my work lab intact, thank you."

Jack scowled, but the smile she gave him, took away any thoughts of being put out by her refusal to look after Mac.

"Oh well, I dare say Cindy won't mind, though she did make a fuss over an itty-bitty little indiscretion yesterday. He's a puppy for cryin' out loud. He's supposed to chew things. It's what they do!"

"What did he ruin Jack?" she asked, giving him her stern look, knowing it would be more than a little misdemeanour on the dog's part, by his avoidance.

Jack looked at his watch.

"Teal'c we're gonna be late," he grumbled, even though they all knew he still had plenty of time to get there.

"Jack!" she warned.

He shied away, even more sheepishly, and although she would never mention it to him, he looked adorable wearing that look.

"Mac found Cindy Wilson's open locker most interesting," Teal'c intoned, clarifying the problem.

"She shouldn't have left it open," Jack retorted in defence of his pet.

"She was most displeased O'Neill."

"I noticed that," Jack replied. "I told her I'd pay for a new one for her."

Sam could only shake her head.

"What? Pay for a new what?" Sam persisted.

"A cell phone."

"Oh, is that all?" Sam gasped in amusement. "Then I guess that's not as bad as I thought, though bad enough," she added sarcastically.

"And a..."

"Teal'c!" Jack warned, screwing his head round to look up at the big Jaffa with a scowl.

"I'm paying for the damages, even though you bought him for me. I can't be expected to stop him when I'm working my butt off in a sweat trying to get myself mobile again!" he snipped in frustration.

Sam squatted down beside him so that she could be eye level with him. Laying a hand on his arm, she calmed him with one of those disarming smiles of hers.

"I'm sure it will be okay Jack. He'll soon learn not to chew and nobody expects you to watch him when you can't. It was just unfortunate that Teal'c couldn't stay with him that time to stop him."

"Ya know, I knew there was a reason I loved you."

She patted his hand and stood up.

"I need to get going. Sg-1 has a briefing in a couple of hours and I need to get my report ready. See you later."

She walked away and Teal'c resumed his task.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack held onto the bars, his knuckles white with the tenacity of his grip; his arms shaking from the effort of holding himself upright and bearing all his weight. He stepped forward, willing his muscles to work. It was hard work after so long without so much as a twitch before his team had found him. He took another step, and then another until he'd reached the end, sweating profusely, exhausted but happy with his progress so far.

Cindy, apart from the annoyance over having the puppy chew everything in her bag during yesterday's session, was pleased too.

"I think it might be better, now that you can bear some of your own weight Jack, if you came down to the gym. We've got a therapy pool there and you would find the effects quite beneficial after a heavy workout."

Jack liked the idea of the pool; it would take some of the strain and cramp out of his muscles after a hard session. Of course he would have to find out from Janet if he would be allowed out of her clutches long enough to leave the base for a couple of hours. She'd been hovering over him worse than his mother ever did, and more so than if he'd still been in the infirmary.

"Sure, why not," he agreed. "You'll have to persuade Doc Fraiser though, she might not let me out to play just yet."

"I'll do that. That was a good workout today Jack. You're doing well. We'll soon have you up and about again," Cindy crowed with a twinkle in her eye. She liked Jack despite his snappy disposition when he was working hard. She knew that it wasn't aimed at her, merely at himself in his frustration to forge ahead; wanting to run before he could walk, literally.

Cindy pushed the wheelchair within easy reach and Jack flopped bonelessly back into it, relieved to be off his feet again. He wiped the hard earned moisture from his neck and face with the towel and his breathing and heart-rate calmed now he was at rest once more.

She beckoned Teal'c over from where he had been sitting keeping an eye on the puppy and making sure he didn't get into mischief again.

"That's all for today Jack, I don't want you to try any walking on your own just yet. Just keep up those gentle exercises that I showed you, but don't overdo it. As soon as I'm finished here, I'll go find Janet. See you tomorrow Jack, Teal'c, and you too," she added, grinning down at Mac.

Cindy bent down to fondle the puppy's ears affectionately, telling him, he'd been a good boy today.

She held the door open for them and hurried back to her locker when she heard her cell phone ring. Not the one the dog chewed on, but fortunately the one she kept for private conversation in her jacket pocket.

She listened intently to the voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes sir... He's doing fine. Better than I expected... A few weeks yet, but I know Dr. Fraiser says she will release him for light duties around that time... Yes sir... I already have... I'm sure Dr. Fraiser will agree, he should be ready for his first session next week... Yes sir."

With a satisfied smile on her lips, she dropped the phone back into her pocket and changed her clothes, leaving the base. She was doing her part, now it was up to them.

TBC


	17. Work, Rest & Play

_Another chapter for your enjoyment; hope you like it. A little more humour before a bit more angst comes your way!_

_Thanks for all your reviews. Love to read your comments on this._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

With a satisfied smile on her lips, she dropped the phone back into her pocket and changed her clothes, leaving the base. She was doing her part, now it was up to them.

Chapter 17 – Work, Rest & Play

Sam opened the door quietly and poked her head round it. She knew Jack would be resting after his physical therapy session. What she saw, made her break out into a huge smile.

Jack was stretched out on the bed asleep, and Mac was curled up beside him, as close as he could get without actually sitting on him, his nose across Jack's chest.

The puppy looked up at her entrance and his long sweeping tail thumped the bed, obviously pleased to see her, but unwilling to leave Jack's side.

Sam closed the door again softly and crept into the room as quietly as possible on tip-toes towards the bed, but Mac's tail thumping against his leg had woken Jack and he turned to see who had caught Mac's attention. When he saw it was Sam, he yawned and stretched, wincing a little from tired and aching muscles. He slowly pushed himself up to greet her with a smile and a hello kiss.

"Hi," she said, absently fondling Mac's ears as he pushed himself against her to get her attention, licking her to death.

"How'd the briefing go?" Jack asked after he'd recovered from their sweet but all too brief exchange of tonsils.

"We're shipping out 08:00 hrs. tomorrow to PX5C 938," she replied, still smiling and still playing with Mac, who was tugging on the toy she'd just picked up from the floor.

Jack knew this would be a problem while he was recuperating, but it had to be done. SG-1 couldn't sit around on their collective butts while he healed; it just wasn't practical for a start. He was concerned that he wouldn't be there to watch over her; to keep her safe. He wouldn't mention this to her though for fear of incurring her feminine indignation. She could take care of herself, he knew that, but it still didn't make him feel any easier about her going off-world without him.

"Any dangers that you should be aware of?"

"I won't know that until we get there, but indications are that the planet is deserted. The UAV sweep didn't show up anything of significance, so we're not expecting any trouble."

"Trouble finds trouble, and if I know Daniel then you should always expect problems. You know what he's like; he just can't keep his hands off anything remotely fascinating, especially if it's got those chicken scratches all over it," Jack sighed in exasperation. "He's a trouble magnet."

Oh, how he wished he was able to go too. Not that he didn't trust her or anything, or the other two, but he'd just didn't relish the 'being left behind' syndrome. He would be a bundle of nerves waiting until they returned; and when they did he sure hoped each and every one of them would be in one piece.

"It sounds rather like the pot calling the kettle black here. Aren't you forgetting who the last member of SG-1 was to incur trouble?"

Jack glowered, but acknowledged the hit.

"Touché!" he sighed. How could he ever forget what they had done to him? But none of this was his fault. He still wondered how long they would have kept him like that. Would they have eventually killed him off? Or perhaps they were going to leave him like that in order to make him suffer for the rest of his life? It didn't bear thinking about. "But that wasn't off-world!" he countered, his mind still thinking over how he almost missed out on this 'thing' between him and Sam.

"Jack?"

"Hmmm?" he dragged his thoughts away from his own mishap with difficulty. "What? Oh! Sorry Sam," he said, feeling guilty that he'd ignored her, especially as she was going off on a mission tomorrow so what little time they could spend together was precious.

"Penny for them?"

He shook his head.

"They're not worth it, I assure you," he sighed. That was a part of his life that he wanted desperately to put behind him.

Sam saw the dark shadow of regret and sorrow pass over his eyes, but didn't press him for an answer knowing he'd rather not reveal the thoughts that had zoned him out for a minute or two just now. No doubt he wouldn't like to be reminded of whatever it was that was bothering him.

"Are you going to be okay while we're gone?" she asked, and he smiled at her then, thankful to her for changing the subject.

"I'll be fine. In fact Doc says that I'm getting out of here in a couple of days for good behaviour."

"Really? She letting you go home?" Sam was more than astonished. Janet had been adamant that Jack stay on the base where he would be looked after. His home just wasn't suited to a wheelchair until Siler could knock up a ramp for the steps down to his lounge; and then there was the problem with his stairs, until he was more mobile using crutches.

"Not home," he sighed, wishing it was just that. "No, Cindy wants me to go to the gym where I can use the pool after particularly tiring sessions and there are some different exercises she has in mind in there. She was thinking of next week, but Janet thought the sooner the better."

"Cramps?"

"Yeah."

He'd been having a lot of problems with muscle cramps after the physical sessions, and one of her nurses had come to give him a massage after his shower. Not that he minded a good massage, but he'd rather have Sam do it for him. Janet wouldn't hear of it though; not during work time at least.

"Feel like some dinner?"

"Uh, yeah. Actually, now I think about it, I'm ravenous. Teal'c should be along in a minute to take Mac up top for a walk, so we can go then. I'll even let you push my chariot."

"He's banned from the commissary too huh?" she chuckled.

"Yeah," he answered sheepishly. Jack recalled the incident where Mac had playfully tugged on one of the table cloths at the next table, sending crockery, cutlery and food spilling to the floor and over the team of Marines whose table it had been. The four soldiers were hungrily tucking into a huge dinner after coming back from off-world absolutely starving, having lost their packs due to a flash flood the day before. The air in the commissary had turned as blue as the cloth sitting covered in a mixture of foods on the floor. Mac though, was having a wonderful time and didn't know which tidbit to try out first. Jack cringed at the memory of Teal'c bathing Mac afterwards to get all the gravy and sauces from his golden coat and those white paws were covered in stew and cream and jello and other things he couldn't put a name to.

Hammond had, oh so patiently, pointed out that he should have left the dog in his room while he ate his meals and would he be so good in future as to keep him under control around the base. The General had been polite about it, but the underlying nuances of a threat were clearly there. Jack didn't dare point out that he had approved of the puppy being on the base in the first place. He was a puppy fer cryin' out loud! What did they expect?

"He'll grow out of it," she assured him, still stroking Mac's chest.

"And not a day too soon!" he grimaced, making Sam giggle.

Mac had lain there enjoying being fussed over, despite their chatter; he was lying on his back on the side of the bed now with his feet in the air while Sam and Jack absently rubbed his tummy. It was a dog's life and he was loving every minute of it. He'd taken to Jack like a duck to water and would do anything for his owner, if he only he understood what he'd wanted half the time. All he wanted to do was explore everything and couldn't understand what all the fuss was about when things fell down or he'd honed his teeth on things that smelled exciting and inviting.

Teal'c' came in a few minutes later and Mac quickly squirmed and jumped from the bed in order to meet his friend, jumping up for attention. The Jaffa greeted his friends and quickly snapped the leash onto Mac's collar and then Mac was pulling him from the room, eager to get where he was going, but not before nuzzling Jack's hand in farewell.

Jack eased himself into the wheelchair and Sam pushed him down the corridor towards the elevator and ultimately to the commissary where a very relieved group of Marines happily noticed the absence of a certain puppy.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack looked out of the car window at the old red brick warehouse building. It had recently undergone a massive change. The structure was now the ultimate place to hang out in for those who were looking for fitness and a social life. Two floors were given over to fitness and there was a restaurant on the top floor. In between there were massage and sauna rooms, recreation areas with table tennis, and badminton and squash courts. It was here that he was to undergo a new therapy regime. Working out in the pool as well as the floor exercises.

After half his allotted time working with Cindy on the floor with weights, Jack now eased himself into the pool. Gary, the assistant had helped him from the wheelchair to sit on the side of the pool. After the tiring workout upstairs, his legs were too shaky now to support him for long, and Cindy had insisted he let the well muscled man help him. It would be different in the water.

The water felt really warm, much warmer than a normal pool, and thoroughly glorious it was too, easing away the ache of his exhausted limbs. He let the extra buoyancy of the water take his weight and floated free for a moment until Cindy reached him and worked him through the new routine. He relaxed and enjoyed the heat infusing him with a warmth that took away the pain of overworked muscles. He could really go for this; it was nice.

After a few minutes on the underwater treadmill, Cindy called time, much to Jack's disappointment, he was quite happy to stay where he was; pruned fingers and all, he was positively glowing with warmth, even to the extent of feeling more energetic, and it felt good.

Gary was there to help him out and Jack was taken by surprise at how extraordinarily heavy his body felt afterwards as he was assisted from the water via the hoist; he could barely move his limbs. Now he knew what an astronaut felt like, coming back down to earth. The young man, used the hoist to lift him into his wheelchair, wrapping a warm white terry robe around him and then pushed him to the changing room, all the while explaining about the effects of gravity on the body after the weightlessness in the special pool. Also explaining that as he gets stronger, they can begin to increase the buoyancy of the water to suit his needs, giving him a better work out, which ultimately would speed up his recovery time. Something Jack was all for.

For the moment though Jack felt like sleeping, he was so tired. The airman assigned to be his driver, helped him into the car and returned him to base where he had a wonderful reunion with Mac.

They were both asleep on the bed when the alarms announced the arrival of an unauthorised gate activation.

Jack started a little, until he realised that it was probably SG-3 returning from a mission. He lay back again, wishing it was time for SG-1 to return; he was missing Sam, and Mac appeared to be missing Teal'c. SG-1 still had another two days off-world and Jack could barely wait for the days to pass.

TBC


	18. A Flying Lesson

_Sorry folks, but there's a little more whumping in line for our favourite character._

_Thanks for all your support and for your reviews. I couldn't live without them. I thrive on feedback!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

Jack started a little, until he realised that it was probably SG-3 returning from a mission. He lay back again, wishing it was time for SG-1 to return; he was missing Sam, and Mac was missing Teal'c. They still had another two days off-world and Jack could barely wait for the days to pass.

Chapter 18 – A Flying Lesson

Evans, the airman assigned to drive him backwards and forwards to the gym, helped him from the car and then pushed him into building, where he met up with Gary. He dismissed the driver with a nod and Gary took him to the elevator and up to the second floor where Cindy was waiting for him.

The conversation sparkled as they worked out on the bars and then the simple arm exercises, and Jack was looking forward to getting into the pool where it would ease the stiffness from the workout he was getting now.

He could feel his legs getting stronger, he was moving the underwater treadmill better than yesterday's efforts, when he'd felt a little uncoordinated. Once they had finished up Cindy let him relax, just floating free for a few precious minutes. He closed his eyes, savouring the moment until he heard Cindy talking to someone.

"Where's Gary?"

"He's helping Mrs Polouvicka. She had a problem and Gary's help was requested in person," the male voice replied.

Jack opened his eyes and made his way to the chair lift, knowing this time why he would need it. He wouldn't be able to do anything for himself after his session in the water. He knew what to expect now, so he seated himself, ready.

"Ready when you are Cindy," he called her attention. She didn't look very happy but Jack didn't want to know why. All he felt like now was going back to his room and crashing out.

Cindy nodded to the other man as she walked over to the hoist, working the controls.

"Jack, this is Mark, he's gonna help you get dried and dressed, then take you back to the entrance lobby today. Gary got called away."

"Mrs. Polouvicka, right?" Jack said, grinning slightly.

Cindy rolled her eyes with a sigh. There was nothing wrong with Jack's hearing.

"One rich 'biddy' that pampers herself as much as her pet poodle. Poor Gary always has to sort out her little problems. I didn't realise she was due to come here today. Never mind. She only comes once a week, twice if we're really lucky," she said with exaggerated sarcasm.

Jack chuckled.

"But rich huh? Let me guess, she has shares in this place?"

"Oh yeah," Cindy said, blowing out a protracted breath. "The Boss's sister."

"Now that explains a lot," Jack said beginning to shiver, despite the warmth of the room. Mark wrapped him a warm robe and seated him into his wheelchair, then took him off to get changed, bidding Cindy farewell as they left.

Once dried and feeling warmer but exhausted, Jack wondered where they were going.

"Hey, isn't the lobby thataway?"

"Sure it is, but Gary asked me to take you upstairs to the restaurant for some reason when you'd finished. Said he'd got a real treat lined up for you."

"Really? For me?" Jack wondered what that would all be about. It had him thinking about the surprise instead of where they were going.

They exited the elevator and within a few steps, mark swung them through another door. Jack gaped in confusion at the stairs for a moment before squirming round to look up at Mark.

"This is the stairs?"

"And?" Mark quipped snarkily.

"I can't do stairs yet."

"I know that."

"So why are we here?"

"Here's the little surprise for you O'Neill."

With that Mark gave him one almighty push and Jack suddenly found himself falling into empty air for a few seconds.

"What the hell?" Jack cried out in shock, unable to help himself in fending off Mark's attempt to kill him.

He tried to grab at the rails as he passed in order to stop his momentum, but he had no strength in his arms to hold on to them. He crashed down the steps, tumbling alongside his wheelchair. The breath knocked out of him, and the feeling of dread coiled his inside, he could only hope that he would survive this. After hitting the concrete steps and metal railings several times as well as colliding painfully with his chair, he finally landed with a pain filled groan to lie in an ungainly heap at the bottom, tangled up in the mangled remains of his wheelchair.

Mark watched with a growing smile; his job was done. He sneaked away from the stairwell and made his escape to the lobby. Once there, he found Jack's assigned driver and directed him up to the restaurant, saying that O'Neill had wanted to meet him up there. With things underway, he returned to his duties. With any luck, nobody would be any the wiser about his part in O'Neill's unfortunate accident which led to his death.

Meanwhile Jack lay helpless. He was in pain, unable to move, and knew without a doubt he definitely had a concussion; blood was trickling down his face to puddle on the floor under his head from a cut somewhere on his forehead. His vision wavered and he hoped to god that he hadn't sustained any further damage to his legs and arms, but held out little hope of that according to how much pain he was in. His breathing was ragged and painful too, so he suspected a few broken ribs. The one thought that helped him bear his agony as the black spots danced in front of his eyes and multiplied, was that someone was bound to find him any minute. The fact that Sam loved him was the last thought he had as he gave a shuddering moan and fell headlong into the darkness of the abyss.

OoOoOoOoO

Meanwhile back at the SGC, a certain young dog, who adored his new master already, tilted his head back and howled loudly.

People couldn't figure out what was wrong with the puppy and were trying to distract him with tidbits of food or toys to play with but, he wasn't interested in anything. Mac knew only one thing, that his master was hurt and alone; and that he was not at his side.

The howling continued for some time and someone commented in passing that he'd heard somewhere that dogs in general only howled like that when their owners died.

It was right about then that General Hammond received a phone call from Cindy.

OoOoOoOoO

Hammond hurried in through the doors of the Academy hospital, his face bleached of any colour by his concern.

He met up with Janet Fraiser in the corridor, her hands clasping the clip board with several sheets of paper attached to it.

"How is he?" he demanded, visibly upset by the news of Jack's fall.

Becoming all business like, Janet gathered herself to make her report.

"Not good. His right arm was fractured. He has bruising along his right side around the area of his ribs but luckily none of them were actually broken, though one or two were cracked, and his right knee is badly bruised and swollen. He suffered from a concussion and there's some swelling of the brain tissues which could account for his comatose state. He hasn't come round at since the accident. It's a mercy the fall didn't kill him," she said, looking up from her notes. They both knew that this was going to set his recovery back several weeks now.

"I don't understand what he was trying to do?" Hammond sighed. "What in the hell did he hope to achieve?" Hammond was furious. From what Cindy had told him, Jack had fobbed Mark off at the restaurant and then headed for the stairs instead of the elevator. It was all a mystery and one they wouldn't be able to solve until Jack regained consciousness and explained his damn nigh idiotic actions.

"I really can't think sir. He just wasn't ready to try the stairs yet. He knew that General. Cindy explained it to him, that it would be several weeks until he was ready for that."

"Yes, well, we all know how stubborn Colonel O'Neill is. I guess he was growing impatient. Okay Doctor, keep me appraised of his progress."

"Yes sir."

"May I see him?"

"Just for a moment sir."

Janet led him along to the side room in the ER where Jack was waiting for his operation.

Hammond looked down on his pale, but bruised and cut features. His forehead was swollen and someone had stitched the deep gash there and done their best to clean him up, though the General could still see traces of blood in his grey hair.

He reached out and wrapped his fingers round Jack's free hand, giving him a slight squeeze of reassurance. Maybe Jack was in there somewhere and would know what that gesture would mean. And although Hammond was mad with him for his foolhardy attempt to tackle the stairs so soon, he still cared enough to be concerned for him.

Jack was a good friend, besides being his 2IC, and a pain in the ass more often than not. What the General wanted more than anything, was for Jack to recover and get back to being his usual sarcastic self. He'd have to admit that he actually missed the man who had become like a son to him.

"Keep fighting in there son!" he whispered, hoping Jack could hear him. "Don't you dare give up!"

TBC


	19. Damn You Jack!

_I hope this puts all your anxieties away now. I promise, no more whumping for Jack. All healing and fluff from now on! I make no excuses for whumping him, after all, they were out to murder Jack, seeing as the first attempt to silence him had failed._

_Thanks for all your reviews, they inspire me to write quicker! So pretty please R & R?_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

Jack was a good friend besides being his 2IC, and a pain in the ass more often than not. What the General wanted more than anything, was for Jack to recover and get back to being his usual sarcastic self. He'd have to admit that he actually missed the man who had become like a son to him.

"Keep fighting in there son!" he whispered, hoping Jack could hear him. "Don't you dare give up!"

Chapter 19 – Damn You Jack!

"Why?" demanded Sam softly as she sat by Jack's bed, his left hand gently cradled in both of hers. "Why did you do this Jack?" The tears that had hovered on her eyelashes began to fall once more. It seemed like she hadn't stopped since she'd come back from their mission.

General Hammond had recalled them but refused to explain why until he met them face to face so that he could break the news as gently as possible.

He remained in a coma, even after two days. She had been shocked rigid, in fact they all were, when they returned from off-world to find Jack had fallen down the stairs and was still unconscious. Her legs had almost given way and if Teal'c hadn't been as observant as he usually was, then she was sure she would have hit the floor. He'd been a constant tower of strength for her with his quiet presence.

Mac was curled up at his master's side refusing to be separated except when someone let him out to answer nature's call. He'd howled the SGC down apparently until he'd been reunited with Jack. Now he moped silently, barely eating and disinterested in anything other than the still form of his master.

He'd bucked up a little since Teal'c and Sam had returned, but he was still too quiet for a normally boisterous puppy.

Sam looked away for moment, her eyes lighting on the young pup. She smiled wanly at him, and reached over to stroke his head for a minute. They had an empathy with each other, both grieving over the unexplained events which had led to this point in time.

Janet was unsure what damage, if any, the swollen tissues in Jack's brain would leave behind when they reduced, nor how much it might affect him when he woke.

Sam was angry with Jack too, just as the others had been. 'What the hell had he been trying to prove?' she'd wondered many a time, unable to see his logic. She knew of course that Jack O'Neill was a damn stubborn man from working with him for the past number of years, but this defied even his logic; it was downright insane! Tackling the stairs when he couldn't even walk a few steps...? Well, it was beyond her. She would be sure to thrash it out with him when he'd recovered from this. 'When' he recovered, she promised herself, not 'if'! He had damn well better recover, or she would kill him herself! Damn idiot!

Her heart lurched once more at the thought and the tears tumbled freely now as she reminded herself how much she loved him despite his stupidity.

OoOoOoOoO

"How is he?"

Sam sighed and shook her head negatively.

"There's no change Daniel," shrugged Sam. She hadn't moved from Jack's side for the last four days and neither had Mac much. In fact Mac was pining away which wasn't good for such a young puppy; he needed the nourishment to grow, but he was refusing to eat at all now.

Daniel walked over to stand behind her chair, placing his hands on her shoulders, and looking over her head at his friend's lax features.

"Janet said the latest scans show that the swelling has finally gone down so he should be coming round soon." Daniel was more positive. He had to be, if only to encourage Sam not to give up on Jack.

Sam didn't answer, but her hand came up to rest on top of Daniel's. He squeezed her shoulder in reply. A moment later, he pulled away and stroked Mac who hadn't even stirred at his entrance.

He squatted down, eye to eye with the young dog, while keeping up his gentle caress of the soft golden hair.

"You wanna come for a walk Mac? C'mon boy. Jack won't be very happy when he wakes up to know you've been so sad all this time."

Mac licked his hand but still didn't attempt to move. Sucking in a huge sigh, Daniel stood up again.

"He won't go Daniel. I'm worried about him. If Jack doesn't wake up soon, then... Well, I'm...afraid... If anything were to happen to Mac, Jack would be so upset. And vice-versa too. We could end up losing both of them."

"I don't think so Sam," Daniel said, then added more forcibly, "Jack's not gonna die. Janet said he should recover, and, okay, he might not be the same Jack, but at least he'll be alive."

"He would hate to be...like that Daniel."

"He might not know any different Sam."

"Whatever happens Daniel, I'm not leaving him."

"I know Sam. I know. You'll just have to be patient and see what happens."

Sam sniffed back a wave of fresh tears. That's all she seemed to do these days, she just couldn't seem to stop herself. She didn't want to lose the Jack she knew, and she didn't want to lose Mac either.

"The police are quite happy to accept that it was an accident. They rang General Hammond this morning to tell him the news. They did put forward a theory that perhaps Jack might have done this on purpose as a sort of suicide attempt, but Hammond shot that idea down in flames. Jack wasn't suicidal; he wouldn't do that to you Sam. He loves you too much."

"Oh god! He wouldn't do that would he? Why would he even think about that?"

"No! He wouldn't Sam. But apparently Cindy told him that he might never be able to walk properly again, that he'd probably always have to use a stick."

"Oh god, Jack!" Sam's heart bled again for the man she loved. 'Would he have thought that dying was better than the alternative?' she pondered.

"He's not that same person as he was back then Sam. He has everything to live for now, despite what Cindy told him. He had nothing when I first met him, but now he has family, us, and you, and now he has Mac too. He wouldn't do that to you. The one thing about Jack, Sam, is that he is not selfish. He wouldn't care about himself; everything he's done lately is for you."

Daniel had taken her hands in his and gripped them firmly to emphasise to her exactly that he meant every word.

"We won't know why he tried to walk down those stairs until he wakes up, so let's not jump to conclusions huh?"

Daniel released her hands to pull her into a hug, letting her weep against his chest.

They stayed like that for a while, Daniel offering all the comfort she needed for as long as she wanted.

It was some moments later that Mac let out a whimper, then another and surprised them by getting up and licking Jack's face until Jack responded with a moan and tried to move his head away from the source.

"Jack?"

"Daniel, he's waking up. Go get the doctor." Sam was almost ecstatic to see him waking at last.

Daniel could barely take his eyes from his friend but he hurried from the room to tell the nearest nurse to fetch the doctor, and tell him that Jack appeared to be waking up at last.

"Blaagh!" Jack groaned, wondering what was happening. Someone was smothering him with something warm and wet.

Sam pulled Mac away from licking Jack to death and held him tight while he squirmed to get back to his master. His tail was thumping like crazy against Sam's leg and he was now licking her too, obviously delighted.

Jack's eyelids fluttered, and Sam could see slivers of brown showing, but his eyelids closed again almost instantly, before the Doctor came hurrying in.

Sam was anxious to know if Jack was going to wake properly or if he'd go back to sleep, but the medic forced Jack's lids up to shine a pen-light into his eyes. Jack reacted with a jerk and a pained moan.

Satisfied however with the reaction he'd had to his examination, Doctor Brown called his name a few times.

"Colonel? Can you open your eyes for me? I know you want to go back to sleep but can you open them for me for just a minute. There's someone here who is anxious to see you're okay."

Jack forced his heavy lids open, and the images he saw were blurry to say the least. He couldn't really make out who they were, though he was hoping one of the shapes hovering over him would be Sam.

"SsssSam?" His voice was thin and weak, rusty from disuse.

"I'm here Jack. I'm right here!" she cried, overjoyed to think that he was lucid enough to know she was there. "Mac's here too!"

"Mmac?" he frowned. Too tired to think he let his mind drift back to the warmth that sleep afforded.

Sam bit her lip, 'Was there some damage to his memory after all?'

"Your dog Jack. Don't you remember? You called him after MacGyver, the TV character."

Jack's eyes closed in sleep and the doctor apologised, but said it was a good sign. Jack had been awake and fairly alert, despite his not recalling the poor dog. It was early days yet and it could take a little time for him to recover still.

Sam smiled weakly then sniffed, turning to Daniel who had stood by her side watching his friend closely; his throat tight with emotion.

Mac was wagging his tail and squirming to jump out of Sam's arms.

"I think perhaps he might be hungry Daniel. Would you?"

"Sure. C'mon Mac, let's go for that walk now and then we'll find you some chicken or something."

He took the puppy from Sam with a smile and left her to watch over Jack, knowing she was a lot happier now.

The Doctor had checked all of Jack's vitals then smiled reassuringly before leaving her to keep vigil.

TBC


	20. Recovery

_Okay slave drivers, here's a longer chapter for you to enjoy. LOL! A little bit of fluff, with lots more to come later._

_Thanks for all your lovely reviews. I did say they would make me write faster. Keep 'em coming, pretty please!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

The Doctor had checked all of Jack's vitals then smiled reassuringly before leaving her to keep vigil.

Chapter 20 – Recovery

It was Daniel that was the one to see Jack's eyes open the next time. Mac had eaten at last and was a lot happier to know Jack was still there. He'd settled quite happily on the foot of the bed, much to the nurses disgust, but they didn't dare move him. Only Sam, Daniel and Teal'c could make him move from his adoring vigil.

Mac stirred once more and thumped his tail on the bed, before practically launching himself in a licking attack on his master. Daniel caught him just in time though.

"Oh no you don't!" Daniel chuckled, happy to see both of them improving.

Jack forced his eyelids to obey his command to open.

"Hey, Jack!"

"Dan'l," Jack slurred sleepily. "Ssam?"

"She'll be back in a minute. Janet ordered her to get some rest and to eat something. I'll get someone to call her."

"I'ssokay," Jack tried to fight against the pull of sleep; he needed to know Sam was okay.

"Mac says 'Hi' too!" Daniel lifted Jack's hand and placed it on Mac's head.

Jack smiled wearily, but patted the puppy.

"Mac," he sighed, warmth filling him from the connection.

The dog woofed back, and moved his head round to nuzzle and lick Jack's fingers.

"Wha...hapn'd?"

Daniel tensed, he'd rather not say anything about the accident, but he knew Jack wouldn't settle until he could recall it.

"You...ah...you fell down the stairs at the gym."

Daniel chewed on his bottom lip, waiting for Jack's reaction. When it came it hit him like a hammer blow, and he wasn't quite sure he'd heard right.

Jack shook his head then winced in pain; his head hurt.

"Pushed!" Jack sighed, barely able to stay awake any more.

"What?"

"Was pushed," Jack repeated slowly, making sure he articulated clearly but it was an effort to do so.

"Jack? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Daniel gasped in realisation as the full horror of Jack's accusation hit home.

"Mark."

"Who?"

Jack sighed heavily fighting to stay awake; a battle he was rapidly losing.

"Tired."

"Jack?"

"Jack, c'mom, stay with me here!"

Daniel waited but there was no response to his urgent plea for Jack to stay awake. He put Mac back on the foot of the bed where he settled back down to sleep and hurried from the room.

He had an urgent phone call to make.

OoOoOoOoO

"Are you sure that's what he said? That's a serious accusation Dr. Jackson."

General Hammond was astounded to think that this Mark character from the gym was lying. If Jack said he was pushed, then he believed him. It was easier to understand that, than the theory of Jack trying to tackle the stairs, or unbelievably that he'd tried to commit suicide as the police suspected. It stood to reason of course that whoever was really behind all the problems Jack underwent before, would try another attempt on Jack's life. It was far more believable. Everything was much clearer now.

"I'm certain General. He definitely blamed this Mark."

"I'll inform the authorities and they can question him further. Thank you Doctor Jackson." He didn't add that he was glad to know Jack was improving. That went without saying, but it was important that they got hold of this Mark as soon as possible. He disconnected the call and dialled the officer who had been in charge of the investigation at the time.

OoOoOoOoO

Mark watched the three men enter the building suspiciously. He watched as they flashed their ID in front of the receptionist and she pointed to an office down the hallway. Mark had that creepy feeling that they were after him. Perhaps O'Neill had lived after all and had recovered sufficiently to start talking. Damn! His life would be a living hell now if they found out he'd messed up and O'Neill was still alive. The man must be tougher than he'd looked. He'd felt sure, that with the heaviness in his limbs from the pool still hampering his movements, O'Neill should have fallen like a ton of bricks and died.

He had to get out of here. The problem was where to run to? The real question was, who would find him first? The police or the boss?

Hurrying away and keeping his face hidden, he made his escape through a little used door on the west side of the building which opened onto a narrow pathway towards the back of the parking lot. He didn't think he would get away with using his car, but as he was miles from his home, walking there was out of the question. Besides, he reasoned, the cops were probably already there, going through his things.

Chancing his luck, he jumped into his car and tried to sneak past the patrol car.

A young rookie spotted him though and slammed the patrol car into reverse to block Mark's progress.

Mark put his foot down and smashed into the side of the police vehicle, but instead of being able to push it out of the way as he'd hoped, it remained firmly attached, going nowhere. Pushing open the door he ran.

Two uniformed officer gave chase, trying to cut him off.

Mark ran down a dark alley between the tenements, desperately looking for somewhere to hide. A warning shot rang out but he kept running, expecting a bullet in the back any minute.

He leapt over trash littering his path, and kept his head down. He was panting hard, gasping for breath; the stitch in his side growing more painful. He knew he was fit, but were his pursuers? He could only hope they were tiring and dropping back. He darted across the street, dodging people and causing several cars to screech to a halt in order to avoid hitting him, but he didn't stop; he just kept on running.

He ducked into another alley, dodging several youths who jeered and called out derogatory comments to the police officers that were chasing him.

A squad car screeched to a halt at the end of the alley and he knew he was trapped. There was no way out now. Exhausted and gasping for breath, he stopped and held his hands aloft waiting for the inevitable. It was that or get shot for trying to resist arrest, and knowing that he couldn't run forever; he guessed giving up was the better option. For now.

Breathing heavily, the officers arrested him and read him his rights, before putting him in the back of the squad car and taking him away for questioning.

OoOoOoOoO

When Jack woke a little more cognitively this time, he smiled at the sight of Sam curled up at his side, her head cradled on her arms, asleep. She looked like an angel. He lifted his heavy hand awkwardly and gently touched the blond strands, loving the soft feel of it.

Mac perked up and walked up the bed to lick his face and Jack couldn't help the chuckle that rose up and erupted at having his face washed by his doggy friend.

Sam's head shot up and she grinned at the sight.

"Okay Mac, that's enough. C'mon, lie down."

Mac whuffed Jack one more time and lay down where he was, as close to Jack as possible.

"Hi," she said, grinning widely, "how're you feeling?"

"Peac..." he stopped looking up at Sam's stern face which he interpreted as 'don't fob me off with that expression', so he amended it. "Sore. Headache. Bad headache! Nail in the head type."

"I'm not surprised. You hit your head pretty hard. You've been unconscious for days, but it's a good job you have a hard head mister!"

Jack rolled his eyes then squinted up at her.

"Mark!" he remembered. "He pushed me down the damn stairs."

"It's okay, we know. The police have arrested him."

"They knew?"

"Not at first, no."

"What?" he wasn't sure he was quite with it yet. He felt as if he'd been asleep for months not days. He tried to shake off the cobwebs shrouding his brain.

"They, that is we, thought you had fallen, mainly because we believed you had tried to take on the stairs too soon."

"Sam, I may be a dumb ass, but I am not stupid. Why the hell would I do that if I can't even walk two feet without help?"

"Mark said that he'd done as you requested and taken you to the top of the stairs and then you told him to leave you there. What else were we to think? The cops thought it was an attempt at suicide, which we didn't believe for a minute."

"So how..." Jack tried to clear his head, but incredibly, he was still feeling tired.

"You woke up earlier, yesterday and told Daniel that Mark had pushed you."

"I did?" Jack sighed then yawned. "I don't remember."

"It doesn't matter, Jack. Mark's guilty. He proved that when he tried to run from the police, but they caught up with him and now he's in custody."

"My head hurts. Tired," he sighed. "Tell me how much damage did they do to me this time?"

Sam smiled, and ran her hand over his brow, soothing the headache. Jack leaned into the gentle touch. She was so glad to get Jack back again and given the conversation they were having, he appeared to be just fine.

"All things considered, not as much as we'd expected," Sam explained thankfully. "A few cracked ribs; you broke your right arm; a badly bruised knee, lots of bruising and a severe concussion. Janet couldn't believe you didn't fracture your skull."

"That all?"

"Isn't that enough for you?" she giggled.

"I didn't exactly chose to fall down the stairs ya know," he grumbled with a pout.

"I know, and I'm glad you're okay. Janet did say this will put your recovery back a little though, but you'll be fine. It'll just take a little longer than planned is all."

Jack harrumphed, but knowing he would be okay went a long way to making him feel better. Now if only he could damn well stay awake!

Jack closed his eyes against his earlier visions, when he fell, of damaging his legs again so badly that walking would be impossible. Cindy had told him that he might walk with a limp as it were, and that his career on the front line would be over, but he refused to go along with that thought.

"Will I...?

"Don't worry about that just yet Jack. Your legs were okay. You didn't break them this time. There's no reason to think you can't... walk in the near future. You will! I know you, you won't settle for anything less."

Jack smiled and gripped her hand, moisture welling in his eyes at Sam's confidence in his abilities. No wonder he loved her.

"I love you Sam."

"And I love you too." She leaned in for a kiss then, pulling away when Jack had to break for a gasp of breath. His ribs were still sore and it made him wince. Sam grimaced down at him. "Sorry Jack."

"'Sokay," he sighed, trying not to breathe too deeply. "Love you."

"Rest. I'll be here, and so will Mac."

At the sound of his name, Mac looked up and licked Jack's plaster cast, unsure afterwards if that was such a smart move. Sam giggled and reached over to stroke him.

Jack nodded and smiled sleepily, then let himself drift away knowing he would do his best not to disappoint her. He would walk once more, and without a damn cane.

TBC


	21. Go Mac!

_Thanks to everyone who sent in a review, I'm glad you're enjoying this. _

_I know I promised no more whumping, and I meant it; but I couldn't leave it at that. I hope this will form the missing link. Don't panic though! Read on and all will be well, I assure you. Sorry, no fluff in this chapter, but definitely in the next and from then on._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

Jack nodded and smiled sleepily, then let himself drift away knowing he would do his best not to disappoint her. He would walk once more, and without a damn cane.

Chapter 21 –

Jack wasn't at all happy to know that those people had gotten to him again, the only relief he found in it was the fact that he'd survived the fall. He knew they could possibly make another attempt, that much was obvious; they were determined to get him out of the way somehow. How they would chose was the main problem now. He wasn't going to stay hidden away for the rest of his life; forever to look over his shoulder wondering if his time was up. No way!

They all looked at the numerous possibilities in which they could take him out; a pistol, a bomb, a sniper, a knife in the back, in fact any number of ways.

For now though he was safe inside the mountain. They had transferred him to the infirmary after he had revealed that Mark had pushed him. General Hammond felt it was the safest option now he was recovering, rather than post a guard or two at the hospital. Hammond would be breathing a lot easier if Jack were at the SGC where he could still post a guard, if it was necessary, without any questions being asked.

So Jack was now ensconced in a private side ward next to the infirmary until Janet was happy with his progress enough to allow him to return to his quarters. He still had his physical therapy sessions with Cindy who had been horrified by the attack on Jack. She concentrated on his left arm and his legs, keeping them supple and moving. The right arm would have to wait until the bone had healed; and gentle treatment on his sore knee.

The following week saw Jack back in Cindy's room walking but with help. His legs still shook from fatigue and the strain, but Jack pushed the sensations away and forced himself to use his screaming muscles. Cindy tried to make him rest but he was determined to prove to everyone that he would make a fast recovery as well as a full one, despite the set backs.

His damaged knee was sending sharp stabs of pain into the rest of his leg, but he tolerated it up to a point. When it became clear that it would no longer support his weight, only then did he relent and give in.

Both Cindy and Janet had warned him that he could be causing more damage by pushing the envelope too soon and too much and he could eventually set himself back weeks. He refused to listen and it was only by using Sam's persuasive voice adding weight to theirs, that he finally listened to reason and conceded the point.

OoOoOoOoO

Cindy conceded that her mission was scrubbed for now. She had conferred with the General on several occasions and the decision had been deferred until further notice.

She smiled secretly, looking at the man as he was helped into his newest wheelchair; Jack O'Neill would never know what had hit him.

OoOoOoOoO

Several day later, Jack was allowed back into his own room, and Teal'c now helped ease Jack onto the bed; he was exhausted after another tiring session in the physical lab. He'd pushed it again, despite his promise not to. He just hated to be in this position, relying on everyone else. This wasn't him; he was a man of action not inaction. He just couldn't sit still and do nothing. He'd made up his mind to go and talk with General Hammond to see if there was something he could do; anything, knowing it could only be something behind a desk was beside the point. He was even willing to tackle paperwork if only to stop himself from going stir crazy.

As soon as he was settled, Teal'c draped a blanket over his legs and Mac leapt up onto the bed to take his usual place beside his master. The young dog curled up against him as close as possible, tucking his head under Jack's hand.

Teal'c left them, making sure the call buzzer was placed within easy reach. He dipped his head to Jack in deference and patted Mac on the head before he left them to sleep, knowing that the dog would defend his master no matter what.

"I shall return for Mac's exercise in one hour O'Neill," Teal'c informed his friend, then closed the door behind him.

Jack didn't answer, for one it wasn't necessary and two, he just didn't have the energy to speak. He lay there for a while just gently fondling Mac's ears before he dropped into a light doze.

OoOoOoOoO

Mac had grown used to seeing the guards and other airmen or marines milling around the halls of the SGC. In fact most of them would give him a friendly pat in passing as well as a cheerful greeting. He was quite popular among the crew manning the base, though he still didn't know everyone yet.

So when the door opened and a young airman entered the room, Mac didn't react.

It was only when the airman stalked closer, pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Jack, did Mac decide to act on his instincts.

He snarled a quiet warning but the figure ignored him, getting closer to Jack. Through his light sleep, Jack heard the soft noise, and felt the hackles along Mac's neck bristle. He opened his eyes to mere slits and saw the man highlighted from behind by the corridor's lights. He readied his body to move quickly, seeing the pistol in the hand pointing at him.

Without a second's thought, Mac leapt at the man, chomping down his sharp teeth on the hand holding the gun. The pistol fired; the loud retort echoing in the room. Jack jerked away from the trajectory but groaned and fell backwards with a grunt of pain and a curse.

The man was trying to shake the tenacious grip of the dog from his wrist, but Mac was hanging on for dear life, being shaken viciously. The harder the man shook him, the deeper his teeth sank.

Suddenly there was a commotion and light flooded the room when Teal'c and several guards rushed in.

"Mac! Down!" Teal'c boomed, and Mac finally released the man who had tried to kill his master. He leapt onto the bed standing guard over Jack who lay there with his eyes closed, a grimace on his lips.

The man was cursing up a storm and holding his injured wrist to his chest. He was searched and then unceremoniously hustled from the room to the holding cell where there would be no escape.

Teal'c was at O'Neill's side seconds later.

"O'Neill?"

Jack grunted, opening his eyes and then struggled to sit up. Teal'c helped him, but kept his hand on Jack's back supporting him whilst searching his body for a bullet wound and the blood he'd expected to see.

"It's okay. I'm fine Teal'c. He missed!" Jack stated, none too pleased that someone else had made another attempt on his life. If it hadn't been for Mac then he could well be dead now.

"I assumed you had been hit from your exclamation of pain O'Neill." Teal'c was reluctant to leave Jack's side for the moment, needing to be sure his friend was indeed alright.

"Tried to move too damn fast is all. I jerked my damn knee and tried to use my arm," he grimaced. "It hurt!" he added with a whine.

"Are you still in pain O'Neill!"

"It's nothing Teal'c. I'm fine," he grumbled, still fuming over the attempt. Mac was whining a little and trying to lick him all over. He reached out and pulled the dog closer to him, burying his head in the soft golden hair; shaking a little from the close shave.

The door crashed open again and Janet, Sam, Daniel and General Hammond all rushed in.

"Colonel?" Hammond barked. His voice sterner than intended through fear for Jack's life. He'd dreaded what he might find here. He'd dropped everything as soon as the gunshot was reported. In a sort of sixth sense, he knew it was Jack that was in trouble. He'd met up with the others on the way.

"Jack?" cried Sam and Daniel together. Sam flew to his side, relieving Teal'c of his duty.

"I'm fine. He missed." Jack fobbed them off as soon as the words left the General's mouth, hoping to stop them all from worrying. "I think he killed my pillow though." Jack looked down at the pillow where his head had lain only moments before. A neat round hole through it's fibres.

Teal'c removed the pillow to find a hole in the mattress below too.

"Who the hell was he? And how did he get in here? There was supposed to be a guard outside!" Hammond fired off angrily at the security guards that he'd snagged on the way.

Janet, ignoring the General's outburst. She was already busy taking Jack's pulse, sitting on the bed beside him. It was a little fast, but that was hardly surprising considering he'd narrowly escaped certain death. Again!

"It seems to me, Colonel, that someone is obviously anxious to be rid of you. I suggest that we spread it around that he succeeded this time, but was caught trying to escape afterwards. We give them what they wanted and see who gloats in the aftermath." Hammond was determined to flush out the real culprit(s) behind the attempts on his officer, and friend. Maybe this was a game they could play and win.

There were nods of approval all round and Jack looked up at all of them, shrugging awkwardly, he could only agree to play dead for a while if he wanted this over and done with.

OoOoOoOoO

"Sir, I just intercepted this communiqué on the way to the White House."

He reached out a hand and read through the brief letter. It was on SGC paper and signed by General Hammond informing the President of the death of Colonel O'Neill. A huge smile that spread across his lips, turned into a deep guffaw.

"At last! He did it Tom. He nailed that sonovabitch at last!"

Tom smiled; it was obvious his boss was extremely pleased.

"That's one down sir."

"Yes, it is. Only one more to go!" He sat down heavily in his chair revelling in the news of O'Neill's death. "After all this time I'm finally rid of that annoying smug bastard. I can hardly believe it Tom. It's taken me years to get rid of him, and now he's gone." He moved across to the drinks cabinet and took a couple of glasses down, pouring out some scotch, then handed one to Tom who took it with a smile. "We must celebrate. A toast! Good riddance to O'Neill!" They chinked glasses and drank the strong amber liquid down in one gulp, each gasping as it hit the back of their throats with fire, burning as it went down.

"Tom. Call my wife, and make a reservation at Giovani's I feel like celebrating tonight."

"Yes sir!"

TBC


	22. Plans

_Once again I thank you all for your reviews. _

_Sorry, but I'll deal with Cindy in a later chapter. Why is it that you all think she is evil? She might not be! _

_Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The next one is already written, so it should be up tomorrow. I wouldn't want to keep you all in suspense much longer._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"Tom. Call my wife, and make a reservation at Giovani's I feel like celebrating tonight."

"Yes sir!"

Chapter 22 – Plans

"I suggest you get some rest sir," Janet ordered sternly, seeing her patient was still a little shaken up.

"Rest? You expect me to turn over and go back to sleep?" Jack sounded incredulous, but Janet had expected he'd be too hyped up after that to sleep, so she pulled out a hypo.

"I'm going to give you a shot sir. It will help relax you, and don't tell me you're not still in a little pain from that sudden movement, because I can tell you are."

"I will remain here O'Neill. No-one shall disturb your sleep."

Janet swabbed at the injection site, putting the used needle away to dispose of properly when she'd returned to the infirmary.

Jack frowned down at his arm where she'd jabbed him, and pouted up at the Doctor, but she just smiled and left them to talk.

"I'll stay if you want?" Sam asked, knowing he would rather she be with him inside the room. Not that he didn't mind Teal'c, but she knew him better than that. He needed more reassurance than just a friend watching over him.

Jack nodded, and Teal'c being the soul of discretion acceded the point with a dip of his head.

"I shall be outside O'Neill. Colonel Carter can therefore, remain in here as you wish."

"Thanks Teal'c." Jack knew he could relax now. With Sam curled up beside him and Mac too and with Teal'c and a couple of guards outside he would be safe from now on. Though the thought of being confined to one room wasn't a pleasant one, but one which he would have to endure if their ruse was to work. In the dead of night with so few people around to witness the event, and after he'd slept off the shock, he would be moved to a more secure location.

Jack waited for Teal'c to retreat then lay down on the new pillow he'd been given. The bullet had been removed from the mattress already and taken away to the lab. The drug Janet had forced into him was beginning to take effect. Sam curled up beside him, stretching her arm across his waist lightly as she rested her head on his shoulder. Mac curled up on his other side, content now that Sam was here too. His master would be safe now.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked, biting her lip anxiously.

Jack turned his head towards her, studying her face in the dim light. He raised his hand and stroked the soft strands of hair at the base of her neck.

"I'm fine. Honestly." He pressed his lips against the top of her head in a gentle kiss.

She tightened her grip a little, burrowing her face further into him, her body shaking as the tears started.

"Hey!" Jack cried softly. "He didn't get me, and this time we're gonna nail that bastard for good."

"I know, but I could have lost you tonight." She sniffed the tears back; she didn't mean to cry. He would think she was such a cry baby.

"Not with Mac around," he assured her. "He was great, weren't ya boy!" Jack moved his arm from around Sam and fondled the pup's ears roughly, getting several licks for his trouble. "I don't think that guy will be taking any more pot shots at anyone for a while," he snorted, amusement colouring his voice. Teal'c had already given the dog a treat for being a hero.

Sam made a fuss of him too and Mac rolled over so they could both rub his tummy; his tail thumping the bed in a steady rhythm.

Jack yawned suddenly and nestled against Sam.

"Seems Doc's jab is working," he sighed round another yawn.

"Go to sleep Jack. I'll be right here. I love you!" she whispered, unsure if Jack heard her or not. He murmured something in reply but he was asleep in seconds. She stretched up and kissed his jaw, feeling the stubble prickle. She smiled at his sleeping face then snuggled closer again, contented just to have him alive.

She lay there for several minutes, comforted by the steady beat of Jack's heart beneath her ear. Gradually she closed her eyes too and drifted off as well.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel had schooled his features into one of deep grief when he'd left the room. He'd brushed past several people on his way, unwilling to greet them in his usual manner. His best friend had just died!

Rumours were running round the base like wildfire until General Hammond made the rumour official through an internal memo. He also made an important phone call, requesting help. He had a plan and a certain someone could be just the person he needed right now.

Rumour also had it that Colonel Carter was refusing to leave her quarters; too upset to face anyone right now. Everyone knew of her close ties to the Colonel, so they could understand why she had withdrawn. SG-1 had officially been given time off until after the planned memorial service, said to be held in a week's time. It was also whispered that O'Neill would have a full military funeral in Arlington, though some refuted the idea, saying they had heard that he was to have a private funeral locally in order to be buried near his dead son.

It would severely test SG-1, Hammond and Janet to the limit of their nerves. And it was all they could do to not put a stop to the gossip and deny the outrageous whispers. For the rest of the day and into the night the news would be twisted and repeated until nothing about it rang true except for O'Neill's untimely death.

OoOoOoOoO

There were soft voices outside the room and Mac pricked up his ears, listening for any hint of danger, but all he heard was Teal'c talking quietly with General Hammond. Moments later the door opened, alerting Sam. Gently, she untangled herself from Jack rather self-consciously, aware of the fact that she had been curled up asleep with Jack's arm around her, but Hammond ignored the fact and made no reference to her compromising position. Too deeply asleep, thanks to Janet's injection, Jack never stirred at the intrusion.

"Sir?" she whispered, meeting him just inside the doorway wondering what new developments had occurred.

"At ease Colonel. I've been talking to Thor. He has agreed to play a little part in my plan to unmask the real person behind all of this madness. I want you to take Mac and go to your quarters. Keep him there until it's time to make an appearance, no matter how he might howl the place down. It will only add credence to the misinformation we're spreading around about Jack's demise. I know it will be tough on you and for Mac for a while, but please bear with me on this. Jack will be perfectly safe. I promise."

"Thor's gonna hide him?" Sam gasped, knowing Jack would be safe in orbit.

Hammond nodded.

"Yes. In a few moments he's going to beam Jack to the sick bay on board his vessel and keep him there until the appropriate time. Meanwhile I am expecting exalted company as soon as possible after word of the Colonel's misfortune reaches our suspect's ears."

"That soon?"

Hammond nodded with a sigh.

"Knowing him, he won't be able to wait to gloat about Jack's loss. You'd best get going Colonel. I'll, em...wait outside."

"Yes sir," Sam replied with a blush. Then Hammond outlined the plan to her, then hurried back to his office.

She walked back to where Jack lay sleeping still and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing down on him. Very tenderly, she brushed the silver hair back from his brow, then leaned down to kiss him goodbye for a while.

"Sorry I couldn't stay Jack, but Thor will explain the reasons. I'll see you soon my love." She captured his lips in another kiss eliciting a small sigh and a smile from her sleeping partner, then she coaxed Mac to leave Jack's side.

She picked him up, holding him firmly, whispering that she was going to find something nice for him to eat, then left the room. Moments later Mac gave a soft growl and then started howling.

Nobody else noticed the bright light that bathed the room for an instant, nor witnessed the silent disappearance of one Colonel Jack O'Neill.

OoOoOoOoO

One hour and thirty minutes later, Janet was waiting in the mortuary, her nerves tingling on edge as she waited. A bright light filled the room momentarily and a waxy body appeared on the table.

She was startled at first, but sucking in a huge breath, she quickly draped the sheet over the naked and lifeless body of Colonel O'Neill. She held the stethoscope over the heart but thankfully discerned no heartbeat. Carefully, she held the pistol and fired a shot to his temple from close range, reminding herself that this body wasn't the real Colonel.

Unscrewing the silencer, she pocketed the gun, added a little make up and pulled the sheet over the head before leaving the room. Her part in the charade was done.

Shutting the door to her office behind her, she removed the gun and locked it away in a drawer, then she poured herself a cup of strong coffee and sat down to recover her nerves. It hadn't been a particularly pleasant task, and the mindless clone had looked so like the real Jack O'Neill. It had been positively scary.

The next part of the ploy was ready for when the VIP arrived, probably sometime tomorrow if General Hammond wasn't mistaken. All he would find is the lifeless corpse of Jack O'Neill, courtesy of Jack's little grey alien buddy, Thor and his cloning techniques.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam had her hands full with a very upset puppy. He wanted his master, and cried all night, refusing to touch his food the next morning.

She did her best to comfort the puppy, but he was inconsolable, unable to understand why he had been separated from Jack. All she could do was to keep him close, and reassure him that he would see Jack again very soon.

TBC


	23. Hook, Line & Sinker

_So glad to know you're all following the story eagerly. Thanks for all those lovely reviews._

_I hope this longer chapter satisfies your curiosity somewhat, and that you enjoy the **fun** as it unfolds. More fluff coming soon!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

She did her best to comfort the puppy, but he was inconsolable, unable to understand why he had been separated from Jack. All she could do was to keep him close, and reassure him that he would see Jack again very soon.

Chapter 23 – Hook, Line & Sinker.

Hammond sat in his office, the door open; personnel coming and going as normal, but their faces were glum. The people of the SGC hadn't taken the news of Colonel O'Neill's death at all well.

His own face was serious; and he wanted nothing better than to tell them that it had all been a ruse to trap the real person behind the attempts to take the life of his best officer.

Lacing his fingers together he was lost in his thoughts when the phone rang, startling him from going over everything in his head once more, making sure that the plan would work. It had to; Jack was relying on it.

He was here, and right on cue. And there were no prizes for guessing who was on his way down.

He dropped the phone back onto it's cradle and summoned SG-1 and Janet Fraiser to the briefing room. They each knew their part in the little fiasco about to take place. Sam had hold of Mac on his leash.

They arrived a few minutes before Senator Kinsey, who barged into the room as if he owned the place, causing Mac to growl, baring his teeth at the man.

"Senator Kinsey? What a surprise! To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Hammond asked through a false smile and gritted teeth.

"General Hammond. I just heard the news about Jack O'Neill. I wanted to learn for myself if this was in fact true; that's if it's not too inconvenient for you General. I know you people; you seem to overcome death with regular monotony. Is it true? Jack O'Neill is actually dead?"

Hammond cast a look at the solemn faces of the rest of SG-1, then trying to fight his anger, he replied.

"I'm not sure how you found out Senator. I've only notified the President so far, but if you'd like to see for yourself, you're welcome. Do his team look suitably upset even for your satisfaction?"

Kinsey swept his gaze around those seated at the table; Daniel's eyes were red, thanks to Janet's prescribed eye drops. Sam was sniffing back the tears, which were overflowing thanks to peeling an onion a few minutes ago. And Teal'c, well as far as the Senator was concerned, he always looked sombre, so Kinsey couldn't be sure of any difference. Even Janet had taken a whiff of the onion so her eyes were red and watery too.

"If you wish Senator," Hammond continued, playing along, "you may view Colonel O'Neill's body just to be certain." Hammond fisted his hands at the sheer gall of the man, while still trying to appear calm. "I am sure you would want to pay your own personal respects? After Colonel O'Neill was a hero!" Something which you will never be! he added silently. "I believe Dr. Fraiser would be willing to show you to the morgue where his earthly remains lie for the present."

"I would, thank you General. I would wish to pay my last respects."

Janet stood up, barely able to control herself from hitting the smug bastard. He was so damn eager to see the result of his dreams come true. She was still reeling from the thought of 'killing' the mindless clone. It had been harder for her to do than shooting at the enemy, all because the clone had borne her friend's face. Now if it had been Kinsey's face... that would be another matter. No qualms there.

"If you'll follow me sir!" she snapped, trying to maintain a professional façade and keeping her back straight and her fingers from reaching for a huge hypodermic full of Novocaine or Epinephrine. She'd love nothing more than to give him an overdose. That way, he'd be put out of everyone's misery.

Sam snorted with disgust, but could hardly contain her laughter at General Hammond's outstandingly sombre performance.

"Worthy of an Oscar sir!" she chuckled along with Daniel, a few minutes after Kinsey had closed the door behind him.

"Pay his last respects," snorted Daniel, "my ass! He couldn't wait to be rid of Jack."

"The fun hasn't yet started people shall we join them?"

Hammond led the team along with Mac to the Morgue, giving a little time for the 'fun' to begin.

OoOoOoOoO

Senator Kinsey approached the draped body and yanked the sheet back from the face. He almost smiled predatorily until he remembered Janet was still in the room. But it was definitely O'Neill who lay there, a bullet wound to his head. There was no way he could have survived that.

"Excuse me Doctor Fraiser, but do you mind if I have a moment alone with this hero's remains?" Kinsey tried to keep the sneer from his voice, but Janet knew it was there.

"Of course not Senator. I'll give you a few minutes."

Janet turned her back and left the room, barely making it outside before she stuffed her hand in her mouth to stop herself from screaming in anger. Damn the man!

"Thor! He's all yours!" she whispered into the opal like stone that served as a communications device for the Asgard.

Kinsey stood over the body, it did feel icy cold. Next, by using a small mirror, he tried to catch a hint of breath from the inert body. Still not satisfied, he pulled out an extra long, evil looking pin and stabbed it hard into the top of the body's arm, and then the cheek. There was no response to either of these jabs.

"I knew I'd get you one day you smug bastard!" he crowed with delight. "At last I'm rid of you!"

"Did you say something Senator?"

Kinsey whipped round to see the shadowy figure of Jack O'Neill as it wavered and faded in and out not two yards away. He gave a shriek and turned round to look and see if the body was still there. He'd never seen a holographic image of a real person before, so he didn't know the difference between that and what appeared to him to look like a ghost.

It was still lying there, unmoving, so he turned back to the blurry figure behind him only to see an empty space. He gasped in horror, looking all round the room, settling back to stare at the dead body. Then Jack's voice came from behind him again.

"What's the matter Kinsey? Afraid of ghosts?" Jack taunted in a sing song voice.

"No!" Kinsey yelled, swinging round. His face was pale, and he was breathless; his heart beating double time. He wasn't scared; no sir. He proved it by swishing his hand through the holographic image. "You're not real. You're dead. I damn well had you killed you bastard!"

Jack's image flickered again and Jack laughed before disappearing.

Kinsey tried to calm himself, but Jack kept spooking him, making him spin round so many times the Senator became dizzy.

"I'm going to haunt you Kinsey, for the rest of your life!" Jack laughed hideously, his voice fading as did his image.

Kinsey tried to calm himself by grabbing hold of the marble slab, whilst not touching the body. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to slow his heart-rate down.

Suddenly the door opened and Hammond entered the room followed by all the others. Kinsey jumped away from the table as if burned. One look at Kinsey's face and Hammond could tell the man was scared; his face was ashen and he was sweating and probably trembling too.

"Do you have something you wish to admit to me Senator?"

Kinsey floundered for a moment, trying to recover his bluff.

"Should there be General?"

"I am absolutely certain I heard you say that you were responsible for Jack's demise!"

Kinsey pulled himself upright, puffing out his chest.

"That is a slanderous statement General. I demand an apology..."

Suddenly he had an eerie feeling; the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. He began to turn round slowly.

"Boo!" cried Jack spookily, tapping the Senator on the shoulder and making the unfortunate Kinsey scream, fall to the floor and scamper away on all fours in fear. He turned round to see Jack laughing. Kinsey's eyes were wide in his terrified face; his hands held up in defence of his body as he cowered in the corner of the room.

"Nonononono! I had you killed; you can't be here!" Kinsey muttered.

It was as much as Daniel, Sam and Janet could do to stop themselves from giggling.

"Did ya get all that General?" Jack asked, still standing there, but this time his body didn't shimmer. Mac was delighted and Sam let the dog loose. He was scooped up into his master's arms, licking him all over.

"Every word Colonel. Good job!"

Teal'c and Daniel moved past the quivering Senator to assist Jack, knowing it might be difficult to keep standing for him.

"You can't be real!" Kinsey yelled hysterically.

"I'm as real as you are!" Jack retorted with a grin, fending off more licks.

"Then...wh...who...who is that?" Kinsey cried in disbelief, pointing to the body lying on the slab.

"Him. Ah, that's me too! Thanks to Thor's little cloning device. We made a copy, only we didn't plant my consciousness into it. It's just an empty shell."

"Bbb...but...but..."

"Tsk!" Jack sighed in pity, "Bad stammer there Senator. Good job you're retiring from Politics now isn't it?"

Kinsey gulped and picked himself up, trying to recover his senses.

"Who said I was giving up. I'll have you know..." He wasn't scared. O'Neill wasn't a real ghost any more.

"The only place you're going Senator is to jail. No passing 'Go' either, by the way! Oh, and before you leave, I think you might wanna change your underpants," he added in a self-satisfied whisper.

Kinsey spluttered indignantly, but reddened with embarrassment when he looked down at himself.

"I have everything on tape Senator. We'll give you an option. Admit your guilt and face the courts, taking your punishment like a man; or, disappear to an uninhabited world where you will be on your own and unable to return to Earth until such time as you wish to confess. What will it be Kinsey? Thor's waiting and he is one very pissed Asgard." General Hammond stood there with his hands clenched by his sides, barely holding onto his temper.

Kinsey knew when he was beaten, and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"We also have someone who is willing to admit that he was paid by you to kill Colonel O'Neill." General Hammond added more fuel to the fire.

"Then it looks as if I don't have much of a choice. For now," he sighed, glaring at Jack, adding in an undertone, "I've not finished with you O'Neill. I have friends in the most unlikeliest of places..."

There was a bright light and the Senator disappeared from the room, leaving everyone in doubt about what Thor thought of the Senator's newest threat, and wondering how Kinsey's goons and his family would react when they discovered the Senator missing.

Jack shrugged and leaned against his friends. Janet was instantly there with the wheelchair.

"No!" he said, stopping her. "Thor fixed me, but I'm really tired doc. That's all."

"Well sir. Sit down and we'll get you back to your quarters for a nap."

"Get some rest son. You did well Colonel." Hammond patter Jack on the shoulder, more than pleased with the way things had turned out.

"Thank you sir."

"Colonel?" Janet gave him that, 'disobey at your peril', look.

Jack shrugged, too tired to argue, 'what the heck!' he thought, and so he slumped into the chair and was pushed back to his room, Mac riding along on his lap.

"Fine, fine!" he capitulated.

Thor appeared moments late in a bright light.

"Greetings General Hammond. I take it that Senator Kinsey would be willing to spend some time alone whilst thinking over his future."

"Thor, I can't thank you enough for your help in this matter. And for taking care of Colonel O'Neill."

Thor blinked and turned to face his friend, while still speaking to Hammond.

"O'Neill would be wise to rest. I have healed his wounds, but the process was a tiring one for him. If it wasn't for the need to end the Senator's madness, I would have allowed him to sleep on. He insisted there was no other way."

Jack yawned and Thor blinked again.

"I shall leave now to deposit the Senator on Kanis Primus, and return to him in a few days to discover his plans." With that Thor was gone.

Hammond patted Jack on the shoulder.

"Go get some sleep son."

Teal'c pushed Jack from the room towards his quarters.

The look on the faces of the soldiers they passed along the way was priceless, but Jack couldn't help wondering what would have become of the SGC if Kinsey had succeeded. Mitchum, the young man who had tried to shoot him, had turned state's evidence in order to help the SGC catch the spy among them, who had been passing details of missions as well as the comings and goings of SG-1 and Hammond, who it turned out, was next on the Senator's list. Mitchum had sung like the proverbial nightingale. The result was that one of Hammond's own staff had been taken away for questioning, accused of passing on secret documents for the President's eyes only, to a certain 'Ex'-Senator.

TBC


	24. Relief

_Sorry to keep you all hanging there, but here's the next chapter for your enjoyment. _

_Alas, not much more to go now folks. _

_Thanks for all your wonderful reviews; I really appreciate them. Keep 'em coming...pretty please?_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

The look on the faces of the soldiers they passed along the way was priceless, but Jack couldn't help wondering what would have become of the SGC if Kinsey had succeeded. Mitchum, the young man who had tried to shoot him, had turned state's evidence in order to help the SGC catch the spy among them, who had been passing details of missions as well as the comings and goings of SG-1 and Hammond, who it turned out, was next on the Senator's list. Mitchum had sung like the proverbial nightingale. The result was that one of Hammond's own staff had been taken away for questioning, accused of passing on secret documents for the President's eyes only, to a certain 'Ex'-Senator.

Chapter 24 – Relief

"Hey sleepy head. How're you doing?"

Jack was half awake, but at those words, he stretched languorously. A luxury that wasn't lost on him. He hadn't been able to do anything remotely like that for so long now without hurting. He pushed himself upright in the bed, something else he could do now without pain, and smiled at Sam as she entered the room carrying a tray loaded with breakfast for him.

Now that Jack was fully awake, Mac had all but leapt onto him, smothering him in hello kisses until Jack had to fend him off so that he could greet Sam.

She laughed at the dog's enthusiastic 'good morning' to his master as she placed the tray on the table beside the bed. Playfully pushing the puppy out of the way she sat on the edge of the mattress, leaning into Jack for a morning hug and a kiss.

"You've slept for hours," she accused with a chuckle, reluctantly pulling away. "Feeling better?"

"I'm fine! What time is it anyway?" Jack asked already eyeing the array of food on the tray. He was starving; idly wondering when it was he last ate. Actually he couldn't even recall eating anything for hours.

Mac had sat up too and was watching every move Jack made, closely, his mouth salivating at the sight of food.

"It's a little after 09:00. General Hammond said you shouldn't be disturbed, but I though Mac would probably nudge you pretty soon when he would need to go up top. Teal'c will be along in a minute to take him.

Jack caught site of the long line of drool, falling from Mac's mouth and looked at Sam, feigning annoyance.

"Haven't you fed him at all?"

Sam giggled.

"Of course we have. Cheeky hound," she remonstrated the pup with a pout and wagging finger. "He had some breakfast about three hours ago but wouldn't go for a walk back then. I should think he's absolutely bursting by now."

Jack tossed him a piece of toast and Mac gobbled it up in two bites.

"He'll get fat!" Sam warned with another chuckle.

"He's a growing...dog." Jack explained.

"I thought the idea was to make him grow upwards not outwards!" Sam snorted, to which Jack frowned, narrowing his eyes to glare at her.

"He'll be fine!" he countered.

Sam fell silent, quietly fondling Mac's ears while Jack tucked in, then a moment or two later the door opened and Teal'c entered. Abandoning the fuss from Sam, Mac leapt from the bed and trotted over to greet him, his tail wagging so hard he was wobbling on his feet. Teal'c stooped to pat the puppy on the head and run his hand over his shiny coat.

"Hey Teal'c!" Jack called round a mouthful of his favourite cereal.

"O'Neill. It is good to see you well once more."

"Thanks," Jack mumbled round another mouthful, then went back to his breakfast with gusto. It wasn't often he got to have his meals in bed unless he was really sick. "Ya know," he said, swallowing so that he could talk. "I could get used to this." He laughed then, especially when Sam swiped him playfully across the arm in response.

"In your dreams, fly boy!" she huffed.

"General Hammond would like to see you when you are finished here O'Neill."

Jack guessed as much, now he was fit and healthy, he would guess he was about to be recalled to duty again. He nodded acknowledgement of Teal'c's message as he continued to eat, polishing off the toast after tossing another nibble for Mac who wolfed it down quickly.

Sam shook her head, she could see Mac being fed on all the wrong foods.

"What?" Jack asked seeing her movement.

"I didn't say anything!" Sam said, chewing on her lip.

Teal'c stepped in between them and grabbed Mac, snapping on the puppy's leash. The dog was more than ready to leave Jack's side this time, knowing Jack was okay. Teal'c took the little dog and exited the room hastily before Jack and Sam could argue further over Mac's diet.

Sam sniggered at Teal'c's haste. She rarely got to see the Jaffa in a hurry, except when they were fleeing from some enemy.

"Sam!" Jack warned, trying to look annoyed, but instead he pushed the tray away and grabbed Sam's hands as he rose from the bed. "C'mere you!"

He pulled her into a warm embrace, loving the way he could do so now standing on his own two feet instead of being confined to a wheelchair or the bed.

Sam melted into his arms and pressed her lips against his, deepening the tender touch. Eventually they had to break off, both gasping for breath.

Jack removed his hands from her back, sliding them up her body until he held her face gently between his palms. He gazed lovingly into the depths of her azure eyes.

"I love you Samantha. I don't want to wait. Let's go get married. Soon."

"Really? You mean that?" Her eyes lit up at the prospect.

"Of course I do! There's no reason to wait is there? I don't see a problem... Unless you...?" he hesitated, a frown worrying his brow, as he wondered if there was something wrong.

"No!" she cried in denial. "God! I want to do this!" she said, her face breaking out in a wide smile. "I love you so much Jack. It's just...I never..."

"Ack!" he cut her off. "No dwelling!"

Sam dropped her suddenly watery eyes when she recalled his helplessness when they'd first found him. It hurt so much to see him like that.

"Sam," he warned, knowing full well what she had been thinking. "you can't dwell on the past. I'm fine now. We're fine now. Right?"

Sam nodded, brushing away her tears; her smile a little wobbly but there. He lifted her chin with his finger and kissed each of her tears away, then pulling her into a firm hug; burying his head in her neck and breathing in her unique aroma. She was all woman and she was his. He could hardly believe his luck after all. It was all because of their stupid misunderstanding that he wound up in the hospital. That's when he suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen Ellie for a few weeks.

"Where's Ellie? I thought she was working here these days? Or did I dream that?"

"Oh, em...she's been busy."

"Yeah? Sam?"

"She'll be back soon." Sam bit her bottom lip, and Jack instantly knew she was hiding something.

"Back soon? Sam!"

"You have to meet with General Hammond, Jack. You know he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Jack cocked his head to look at her through narrowed suspicious eyes. She was up to something, so it seemed, was Ellie. He had no idea what it could be but he guessed he would have to wait to find out. She was right, he couldn't keep the General waiting.

He disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, then came out feeling more refreshed after a quick shower, a change of clothes and brushing his teeth.

Teal'c and Mac were still up top, or at least that's where he assumed they were. He'd have to wait until after his meeting with Hammond to catch up with them again.

Sam escorted him to the briefing room. their progress was slow as everyone they met greeted him with enthusiasm. If they were surprised to see him, he was mistaken. This was the SGC and working here, everyone knew the impossible was possible. So seeing Jack had been nothing more than a pleasant surprise, and a very welcome one.

Finally they made it to the conference room where Sam sat at the table to await his return.

She grasped his hand and squeezed it to reassure him it would be okay. He nodded, really wanting to bend over and kiss her, but this wasn't the time nor the place, so he walked towards the General's office and knocked on the door.

"Come!"

Jack opened the door and stepped into the room. Thor was seated there opposite the General who was beaming at Jack as he entered.

"General," Jack acknowledged.

"Take a seat Colonel."

Jack sat down on the seat next to Thor.

"Thor, Buddy. How're ya doing?"

"Greetings O'Neill. I am well."

"Me too! Thanks by the way. I owe ya one!" Jack answered feeling slightly self-conscious for some reason. Maybe it was because this was such a personal thing to talk about. Which everyone knew Jack didn't deal well at all.

"I was explaining to General Hammond, O'Neill, that I have delivered Senator Kinsey to Kanis Primus. I have left him with a supply of food and water; enough for several days in fact. I shall return there in three of your days to discover if he is willing to confess his crimes against you to your justice system."

"That's good. A supply of food huh? They wouldn't happen to be those little yellow squares, that Carter said tasted like sh...? Em...well, let's put it this way, they're not to our taste if ya know what I mean. Sorry! I can see he's just gonna love that," Jack snorted with amusement at the thought of Kinsey trying to eat that stuff. It was beyond foul.

"Actually that is not so O'Neill."

"What? Not so, as in not the yellow squares, or not so, as in not your food at all?"

"I did not leave him the yellow squares. They are my personal favourites. I left him with the ones that even I cannot abide."

Jack couldn't help the laughter that arose. He could just imagine Kinsey's face as he tried to eat that stuff, let alone the stuff that Thor actually hated. The Asgard's favourite ones tasted bad enough, so he couldn't imagine what the ones that Thor disliked, tasted like. Personally he didn't want to find out either.

"Sweet!" Jack commented with a wide grin. Serves the bastard right. If the ex-senator couldn't stomach the Asgard food, then he was going to find himself somewhat thinner by the time he returned to Earth; supposing of course the smug sonovabitch decided he would admit to the charges.

TBC


	25. I Know something You Don't!

_Thanks once again for all the kind and wonderful reviews. _

_Sorry, not much action in this shorter chapter but I promise there will be some in the next longer one. A little more fluff here though. Enjoy!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"Sweet!" Jack commented with a wide grin. Serves the bastard right. If the ex-senator couldn't stomach the Asgard food, then he was going to find himself somewhat thinner by the time he returned to Earth; supposing of course the smug sonovabitch decided he would admit to the charges.

Chapter 25 – I know Something You Don't!

"Now that you're back to full health Jack, we've got to change some of our plans. I've been thinking over the problem. You can't take back command of SG-1 again until those six months are up, unless of course you two have had a change of heart."

"Ah...yeah about that sir. We talked it over and after everything that's happened, we've decided that we don't want to wait any longer. We'd like to bring the date forward."

Hammond sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers together against his lips in thought whilst contemplating his reply. He could see Jack was being honest with him and who could blame them for wanting to get married straight away?

The original estimate was based on the assumption that it would take that long for Jack to heal, but now Thor had worked a miracle on him, it was a problem with what to do with Jack until then.

Thor had left the two of them to talk while he went off to check on Kinsey, if only to make sure the man didn't starve to death, while they awaited his decision.

"You're both sure of this?" Hammond was worried about any possible repercussions.

"Absolutely sir." Jack was more than determined.

"Do I get an invite?"

Jack relaxed and grinned.

"Top of the list sir!" Jack replied with his customary smirk.

"In the meantime I'm granting you and Colonel Carter two weeks off while I think over what the hell I am supposed to do with you for the next thirteen weeks. But, before you disappear, there is one more thing that I need you for Colonel. We have something for you. Make yourself available for a brief mission at 12:00 hrs."

"Yes sir," Jack replied. Now he was damn curious about whatever this new 'mission' could be. He guessed he would have to wait. There was one thing more he had to raise before he left the office.

"Thank you sir. Actually General, Sam has something she wanted to ask you, as a favour."

Hammond nodded, and Jack stood and headed for the door. Opening it he spotted Sam still waiting patiently. He beckoned too her, smiling reassuringly. Standing back, he allowed her to pass him but resisted the temptation to reach out and touch her as she entered the room.

Hammond looked up at her and gestured for her to be seated. Jack hovered in the background, his hands stuffed into his pockets, seemingly more nervous the Sam appeared. If anything, Hammond noted, she seemed rather shy.

"Colonel, Jack said you have something you wanted to ask of me?"

"Yes sir," she replied, dropping her eyes to her lap, her fingers tightly clenched together. "We, or rather I, was wondering, seeing as my father's not... I wondered if you would do me the honour of giving me away at our wedding?" Her blue eyes gazed up at the General, pleading with him to say that he would. She hadn't been sure if he would, but there again in the absence of her father, George Hammond was a sort of surrogate father-figure. He was her Godfather after all, though nobody knew that, not even Jack; something she would probably have to tell him eventually.

Hammond watched her for a moment before a wide smile lit his features. He stood up and walked round the desk until he stood opposite her. He took her hands in his and Jack looking on wondered what he was going to do.

He came to stand behind Sam watching them closely, puzzled slightly by the General's manner.

"Sam, I would consider it a great honour to be a part of your special day. Thank you. I only wish Jacob could be here instead. He would be so proud of you."

Sam sniffed back the threat of tears and stood, pulled up and into the General's light embrace for a few brief seconds.

Jack swallowed rather harshly, feeling like an intruder on this very intimate moment. Had he missed something here? There was more than meets the eye between these two; he thought he'd known both of them pretty well, but he'd obviously missed something. He coughed, making Sam giggle at his awkwardness.

"Somethin' you wanna tell me Sam?" he asked, his eyebrow cocked and his cheek dimpled with curious amusement.

Sam smirked and turned back to Hammond who nodded his approval, before retaking his seat.

"I think you two need to be dismissed," Hammond ordered, shooing them from his office. "I have work to do even if you two haven't. I'll be expecting to hear from you soon."

Sam grinned and led the way out of the room, Jack following on, still puzzled but ready for her explanation.

They stood in the briefing room beside the huge picture window that overlooked the Stargate below. Sam kept her voice low as she turned to face the man she loved.

"There's something I haven't told you before. I never thought I would need to mention it, but now things are different, you would probably have found out later anyway."

Jack eyed her with suspicion, wondering if perhaps there was a skeleton in Jacob's closet that had been hidden away all these years. All sorts of weird and worrying things were buzzing around inside his head.

"C'mon Sam, out with it," he commanded when she hesitated, chewing nervously on her lip. "I mean it can't be that bad, can it?"

Sam giggled, shaking her head. She'd always gotten on well with General Hammond and she didn't want Jack to think she had been shown any personal favours by him as a result of their connection. That's why neither of them had mentioned it.

"It's no big deal really Jack. Honest. It's just that...well...General Hammond has known my father for a long time. They were friends before my mom and dad were ever married, and well, when I came along it was only natural that... General Hammond is my Godfather. Our families have always been close. I never mentioned it before because I didn't want people thinking..."

"That's okay. It isn't a problem. And I would never have thought that Sam. You didn't get where you are because of being related to Jacob, and I'm pretty certain that you didn't get to be a part of the Stargate programme because Hammond happened to be your godfather. You earned this on your own merits Sam. You're a brilliant as well as beautiful woman. I would never have presumed anything of the sort."

Jack didn't know whether to be angry that she should have thought he would be bothered over the connection, or to think her silly for her unfounded presumptions.

Sam looked so apologetic that he couldn't help smile in relief.

"I'm so..."

"Don't!" he interrupted her quickly. "Don't you dare apologise for something that you had no control over and had nothing whatsoever to hide."

Sam dropped her eyes to stare at the floor, unsure if he was upset or not. She saw his feet shuffle closer; felt his hand wrap round her arm and then shivered as his warm breath huffed on her neck when he whispered in her ear. It was as much as she could do to not reach out and seek his comforting embrace, but it was too public out here.

"I love you Samantha Carter. I couldn't give a damn if your were Goddaughter to the President. It wouldn't change the way I feel about you."

She smiled, feeling her insides melt. Bringing her head up slowly she sighed in relief at the love she saw shining in his dark eyes.

"I love you too Jack!" she whispered back.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed, stepping away a little; their moment of intimacy over when he heard footsteps echoing on the metal stairs.

A moment later there was an excited bark and he found his arms full of boisterous puppy, smothering him in wet slobbery kisses. He returned the enthusiastic affection, making a big fuss of the young dog, as if he'd not seen him in ages.

Jack released the pup and stood up, something which he couldn't had done without a twinge of pain before the 'accidents' which had befallen him. Now though, now that Thor had healed him, he could move with an ease which he'd long forgotten. It felt good. He bounced on his feet, feeling great. Life was good.

OoOoOoOoO

The elevator seemed crowded. Jack glanced around, taking in everyone that was there.

Teal'c was stood at the back, his passive countenance not giving anything away; his steady gaze riveted onto the closed doors. Daniel stood next to the Jaffa, silently, his posture self-hugging and he was staring at the floor rather than at anyone else. Hammond, if anything, looked smug, but even he was avoiding Jack's eyes for some reason. Janet was there too, sharing knowing looks with Sam, who had her back to him.

Jack leaned back against the wall, folding his arms across his chest wondering what they had been up to. They were all hiding something from him. Even the dog seemed to sense the tense, expectant atmosphere and was sitting silently at his feet, barely moving from his position as he leaned into his master.

Something was most definitely going on and he was sure he was about to find out what exactly it was.

TBC


	26. Surprises

_Well, here's that extra long chapter for you . Lots of surprises in store, some not so nice, but I did make a promise if you recall. Things may not be what they seem._

_Thanks for the reviews as usual. Love them all. Keep 'em coming and I'll keep writing!_

_Enjoy, but please, no lynching is allowed!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

Something was most definitely going on and he was sure he was about to find out what exactly it was.

Chapter 26 – Surprise!

When the elevator reached the top of the mountain. Daniel tied a blindfold over Jack's eyes, surprising him, and Teal'c took charge of Mac.

"Hey! What the...? What's goin' on?" Jack cried. His spidery senses kicking in. He'd known they were up to something, now he knew it.

Sam took his right hand and Daniel grabbed his left arm, guiding him out of the entrance, much to the amusement of the security guards stationed there.

The little group led Jack a little way down the roadway then veered off to the left. Jack tried to think where they were leading him. The only thing he knew that was off in this direction was part of the forest that covered this part of Cheyenne Mountain. He and his team often came up here for a few moments to enjoy the fresh air.

He was puzzled when he was led onwards and he couldn't feel the rough path under his feet. He should be on the trail by now, unless he'd been mistaken as to where he was?

He could hear other voices nearby. He tired to pick up to whom they belonged. He could hear Cindy's voice and... Ellie? He was stopped and General Hammond cleared his throat.

Sam whipped off the blindfold and Jack stood facing a brand new building. Not a large one, and it was only a single story edifice. Double doors stood closed off just a few yards directly in front of him.

His face creased in puzzlement and he looked to the others to see them all smiling.

Sam pointed upwards to the sign over the door. Jack took a step back in surprise, his eyes impossibly wide as he took in the name.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me? I'm dreamin', right? Any minute now I'm gonna wake up in the infirmary. Again! What'd I do this time? "

Sam shook her head in amusement. Her smile as wide as the ocean; her eyes as bright as the morning sun. She pinched him and he flinched with a frown.

"This is real?" he gaped, standing stock still, absolutely stunned.

"Actually Colonel," Hammond chuckled. "This was a project that I'd put forward after the, then 'Major' Carter's abduction. But after your horrific accident it made it doubly worth the effort and since then we've had an unexpected extra funding towards it. We'd like you to officially open it for use."

"That name's gonna change though, right?"

"What's wrong with it?" Daniel asked, hiding his own amusement.

Jack looked at him askance.

"You only have buildings named after you when you're dead Daniel and last I recall I was...am still very much alive, thank you."

That brought a little chuckle rippling through the small crowd waiting for him to inspect the inside.

"Come on Colonel, we're all waiting to see what it looks like in there."

Jack pursed his lips and shrugged.

"Okay. What do I have to do?"

"Just declare that 'O'Neill's Fitness Centre' is open for business," Hammond prompted him, making Jack shudder at the thought of the place named after him.

"Okay. Not one for speeches here, so I'll keep this short. I hereby announce that..." he hesitated, closing his eyes for a moment, before Sam nudged him to open them and get on with it, so using his fingers to draw imaginary speech marks in the air to emphasise his own name he continued. "...'"O'Neill's"...Fitness Centre' is now open for customers."

"Thank you Colonel."

There was a round of enthusiastic applause and Jack dipped his head, shaking it with something between resignation and amusement. It wasn't quite the same as having a spaceship named after him, but it came a pretty close second he figured.

Sam and Janet pushed him to step forward and both Daniel and Teal'c opened a door each for him to pass through into the interior.

Jack passed cloakrooms. Women's on one side and Men's on the other, until he entered another set of doors opening onto the main area of the gym. It was equipped with the latest machines, all high tech with monitors to check progress, heart-rate and Bp etc. He was familiar with some of the gear which he'd used downtown with Cindy.

She had come up beside him now and was explaining that with a fully equipped Physical Therapy building now at Cheyenne Mountain, there would be no need for staff who had been injured to visit the local gyms in town for their therapy. At least here, they would be safe.

There was a room at the back of the building which was where Cindy was leading him. She pulled open the door and Jack grinned as he surveyed the area.

"Cool!" he exclaimed when he saw the small Therapy pool, complete with hoist.

"How did you guys ever afford this on our budget?"

"Easily Jack," Hammond said, grinning widely. "They were a gift from a grateful patron, though she doesn't have a clue about what the Stargate programme is all about, only that her husband was dead against financing it. Apparently we did her a favour."

"Huh?" Jack sighed, still thinking he must be dreaming all of this.

The crowd of close friends 'in the know' laughed at Jack's lack of understanding.

"Mrs. Kinsey was more than happy to spend a little of her husband's excess cash. Putting it back where it belonged. It seems that Senator Kinsey had his hand in our purse Jack. He'd been dipping into our funding in secret, embezzling thousands of dollars for his own pet schemes. She's just returning the money that he couldn't claim was his in the first place. Apparently, she'd had a private firm of investigators looking into his accounts for months now. So in all truth, this was a gift from Senator Kinsey. Kind of ironic really isn't it? She's also filed for divorce."

Jack snorted with amusement. 'Oh yeah, serves the bastard right.'

"Good for her," Jack laughed. Justice had been done at last. Maybe now they could look forward to a reasonable amount of funding that was rightfully theirs. There were murmurs of agreement from all round.

Jack was feeling slightly overwhelmed by all this attention. He'd been so out of it for months now. Sam could feel the tension rising in him, seeing the muscles in his neck bunching, so she quietly ushered everyone from the room.

Jack knew what she was doing and was more than thankful for her vigilance and concern, giving him a moment to himself. He turned, standing near the edge, gazing blindly down into the depths of the shimmering green water of the pool.

The room fell silent as the doors closed behind the last person and Sam walked back towards him, standing at his side, waiting for him to say something. She took his hand in hers; she could wait, she was patient, letting him make the first move. Neither of them had noticed Cindy, hiding in the corner of the room behind the door to the changing rooms.

The physical therapist pulled the Beretta from her bag and walked over towards them, hiding it between the folds of her white coat until she was just several feet from Jack.

Planting her feet in a wide stance and taking a firm hold with both hands wrapped round the grip; her arms locked as she pointed the weapon at Jack's back. When she spoke, her voice was cold and hard.

"I should have done this earlier when I had the chance Jack."

Jack swung round, his senses alert as he came face to face with the muzzle of Cindy's pistol.

"Whoa!" Jack cried when he stopped at the sight; his hands going up and wide apart in shock, and to prove to her that he was no threat. "Cindy? What's goin' on?"

Sam jumped at the voice, swinging round too; releasing a frightened gasp when she too spotted the danger. They were alone here and nobody knew Cindy was in the room with them, and that she certainly appeared to be a big threat to Jack's life now. How come they hadn't known that she was involved with this? Was she? Or was this something else?

Cindy moved the pistol towards Sam and Jack went pale at the thought that Cindy might shoot her instead, or perhaps both of them.

Cindy laughed, a cruel deep snort of derision.

"I'm the Back up Jack. I played my part, telling them I'd get you into the gym for one of those goons. He failed and so did the other guy. It's all down to me now. But then I have a personal grudge too."

"Oh for cryin' out loud! Like what?" Jack prompted, trying to figure a way of talking her out of shooting them.

"Bitch," she sneered at Sam.

"Hey!" Jack cried defensively. What had Sam done to Cindy that warranted that spiteful label? "What's going on Cindy? What have we done to you that makes you feel the need to shoot us?"

He gradually edged nearer to Sam, trying to inch between the two women, hoping that he could deflect any shots that might be fired at Sam. He'd die saving her if it came down to that.

"It's all her fault. And yours!" she spat, full of scorn.

"What?" Jack persisted calmly, looking for an opportunity to get the gun away from her without getting either him or Sam killed in the process.

"She would have helped save him, instead, you arrived to rescue her. Her knight in shining armour. The 'Sir Galahad' of the SGC," she snorted, hate filling her.

"What?" Jack tried to think what and when she was talking about.

"When I was kidnapped Jack," Sam whispered, recalling the event that triggered this whole sordid fiasco.

He turned to face Sam with a quick jerk of his neck but turned back seconds later, unwilling to take his eyes off Cindy for longer than necessary.

"Crap!" Jack exclaimed, falling into realisation all at once.

"My husband was arrested thanks to you Jack. I wish Frank had killed you there and then."

"So, you're whose wife?"

"My better half was one of the doctors employed by Conrad to study Carter."

"Ah. I just didn't connect you with any one of those guys," Jack sighed with resigned understanding. Harry's words ringing true at last. "And you're confirming that it was Frank Simmons who shot me back then?"

Cindy silently fumed, she hadn't meant to give him that information, but no mind; Simmons wasn't her particular friend; wasn't even her husband's either. He was a friend of Conrad's though.

"I'm not saying anything more Jack. But I'm here for my husband. He lost his practice, everything because of that. Then one day he was found hanging in his cell. I will have my revenge. So I sold you out to Kinsey, but even they failed to take you down, obviously. You just won't play dead will you Jack?"

She levelled the gun at him, steadying herself with a deep breath; easing back on the trigger.

Jack pulled himself upright, sucking in a huge breath, ready for the pain when it came. He could hear Sam's hitched gasp of fear from behind him as she came to realise that he was about to die, and that she would probably die too.

He felt her hand slip into his and he gripped hers tightly in return, facing his impending mortality with her support.

Cindy's finger tightened on the trigger.

Jack moved quickly, pushing Sam sideways just as the gun fired. The loud retort echoing round the small room.

Sam shrieked in denial as Jack gasped in pain and recoiled from the impact, stumbling backwards to land with a splash in the pool behind him, a red stain discolouring the water and the T-shirt he was wearing.

Sam stood up shakily, waiting expectantly for her turn.

It never came.

Instead, Cindy walked forward, calmly handing the gun over to a shocked and tearful Sam.

"I didn't want to do it Sam. Funnily enough I actually got to like Jack. I just needed to prove to myself I could have done it."

Sam couldn't move; couldn't bring herself to turn round to look at Jack's body.

The doors burst open, weapons raised. The room filling with SFs. General Hammond pushed forward demanding to know what the hell was going on.

Daniel, Teal'c and some of the others entered but were unable to take their eyes off the pool, while Mac took in his master's still form and yapped out his distress.

Janet rushed forward, giving Sam a quick glance over for a moment. She barked out orders that Sam was suffering from shock and needed help. Ellie moved in to Sam's side, leading her away from the edge of the pool, and gently taking the gun from Sam's numb fingers to hand it over to one of the guards. Janet then quickly turned her attention to Jack who was floating motionlessly in the pool.

Two of the SFs took a readily submissive Cindy away on Hammond's orders.

However, before anyone could react further, there was a spluttering and splashing and Jack stood up in the water, his hands pushing the wetness away from his hair and face.

"Ow!" he complained, looking down at his chest for the expected damage.

"Jack?" Startled, Daniel's eyebrows shot upwards. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. Hadn't Jack just been shot? There was blood in the water and on his chest.

Teal'c and Daniel helped their friend from the pool. Jack discovered his legs felt like jello, both from the extra buoyancy of the water and from the shock of being shot at close range.

They helped him to sit down on a bench that ran round the side of the room, handing him a towel to dry his face and hair. Janet followed them and knelt down in front of Jack to examine him. He was hunched over, rubbing at a point high on the right side of his chest. Mac was all over him, but Jack was too busy trying to recover than to make much more than a token rub of the pup's ears, before Teal'c pulled him away so that Janet could get closer.

"Colonel?"

"It's okay Doc. I'm fine. I think it was just a Simunition cartridge. I'm just a little sore from where it hit me is all," Jack explained.

"A what?" Daniel couldn't understand why there was a red stain over Jack's shirt and yet he appeared to be okay.

Janet pulled Jack's wet shirt from over his head and wiped away the red stain from his skin with the damp garment, examining the area where it had impacted him. It revealed a discoloured patch of skin but no hole. Much to everyone's intense relief.

"Ouch indeed Colonel. But, you'll be fine. It's just a bruise," she smiled, more than satisfied that there was nothing wrong.

The petite doctor stood up and patted his shoulder, then moved back allowing Sam to see that Jack was okay. Sam's sob hitched in her throat and she threw herself into his arms, crying with relief.

Jack wrapped his arms around her, soothing her; and as quietly as possible the room cleared, leaving the two of them alone, clinging tightly to each other. Jack was having a hard time understanding why Cindy had chosen to shoot him with a training weapon instead of the real thing. Not that he minded in the least. It meant he was alive, and so was his Sam.

TBC

A/N - _A Simunition cartridge or an 'FX bullet', can be used with real weapons but it is fairly harmless if used with safety equipment. They are used in military and police training methods, and it does hurt if you actually get shot with one, which releases a coloured dye on impact to show the exact spot where the 'victim' had been hit. _

_**Okay **– hands up those of you who thought I had actually killed him off this time! Oh ye of little faith!_


	27. How Green is My Monster?

_I'd like to thank everyone for their great reviews. They're so welcome! Thanks!_

_Sorry, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait for the next chapter for a few days. We had unexpected company turn up last night – just after I'd finished this chapter, so you're lucky to get this one. I do hope you enjoy it! A definite end to all the past angst with a little fluff. _

_The family return to Kent on Tuesday, so I should be able to knuckle down and write the next one then._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

Jack wrapped his arms around her, soothing her; and as quietly as possible the room cleared, leaving the two of them alone, clinging tightly to each other. Jack was having a hard time understanding why Cindy had chosen to shoot him with a training weapon instead of the real thing. Not that he minded in the least. It meant he was alive, and so was his Sam.

Chapter 27 – How Green is My Monster?

"Hey."

"Hey," Sam responded, sniffing back the tears now that the initial shock had worn off.

"There's one thing about this I guess."

Sam looked up into Jack's amused hazel eyes with a frown.

"What?" She couldn't imagine what he was driving at.

"I got to christen the pool!"

Sam closed her eyes and dropped her head, not wanting to see the red stain that had discoloured the water of the pool. She was still reeling from the event, and didn't need to see the evidence.

He cupped her chin and forced her to look up at him, staring into her now open eyes intently.

"I'm fine. It was only a charade on her part. It's over now. We're okay."

Sam gulped back the lump in her throat and nodded. She knew that, but it still hurt to know it could have been for real.

Jack wrapped her in his arms again, happy to be able to do so, freely without fear of being caught. Sam relished the contact and relaxed.

A little while later, and after she'd come to terms with the near deadly deed, she pulled back and smirked at him, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow.

"What?"

"Ass!" she giggled.

"Huh?"

"You're an ass Jack O'Neill."

"Yeah," he agreed, grinning. "But I'm all yours," he added, bringing a wide smile to her lips. They kissed, feeling the reassurance pass between them. He broke off breathless and shivered.

"Guess I should get changed," he sighed, looking down at himself. He shivered again and Sam suddenly realised he was still topless and his pants were wet through and cooling on him.

"God, Jack. I'm sorry. I didn't think." She found a terry robe hanging up on the hook above a bench on the far side of the room and wrapped it round him. He gave another involuntary shiver and pulled it tighter, trying to get warm.

"Not your fault," he said standing up stiffly.

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side and they headed for the door.

They stopped short, just before they would have to return to the realms of the outside world, he bent his head and kissed her deeply, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"I love you Sam," he sighed, nuzzling into her neck. It was her turn to shiver now, but not from the cold. "No matter what might happen out there Sam, remember I'll always love you." He smiled, gazing deeply into her eyes, then he planted another scorching kiss to her lips.

"I love you too Jack. For always!" she whispered when he straightened up again.

She smiled up at him, contentedly. They indulged in one more brief hug before he pushed the door open to join the others waiting patiently in the main gym area for their return.

Despite Jack's objections General Hammond ordered him to report to the infirmary just to be on the safe side.

"But I'm fine sir," Jack protested. "A touch cold, but..."

"Colonel, you have a problem carrying out my order?" Hammond eyeballed him sternly.

Jack looked taken aback at the General's harsh manner, but shook his head in resignation.

"No sir."

"Good. After Dr. Fraiser has cleared you, you are free to leave the base."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir," he replied rather dryly, wondering if for some reason it was he who was in the dog house over this rather than Cindy.

General Hammond watched from the door as Jack, accompanied by Sam, walked back into the underground complex with a heavy tread, disappearing moments later into the tunnel entrance. He nodded, satisfied that Jack would be out of the way for a while, then turned to issue new orders to Walter who hurried off on his latest mission.

OoOoOoOoO

"Okay Colonel. You can go!"

"Great. Thanks Doc."

Jack was more than ready to leave this place. He hadn't been home in months. He wasn't looking forward to cleaning up several months worth of dust or tackling the mini mountain of stale and probably very smelly by now, laundry that had been lying in the basket waiting to be washed; but going home, especially with Sam, would be so welcome.

He hopped from the bed and slipped into his clean clothes. He spotted Sam as he pulled the curtain back, patiently sitting on the bed next to his while she had waited for Janet to finish. She stood up and he grinned as they greeted each other.

"All ready?"

"More than!" he replied readily.

He had hoped to see Daniel and Teal'c before he left but there was no sign of his team-mates anywhere. Sam kept her peace and waited until he was ready to ride the elevator to the surface.

Once they reached the parking lot he automatically headed for the spot where he could see Sam's car, but she'd turned to walk the other way. Puzzled he followed her, spotting his friends in the distance. He knew then that was where she was heading.

They, Hammond, Daniel, Teal'c, Janet and Ellie, were all standing round chatting, admiring a brand new shiny dark green truck.

On seeing him, Teal'c released Mac and the dog ran over to greet his master happily. Jack made a fuss over the dog and picked him up in his arms, getting licked all over.

Jack blew out a loud protracted breath when he eyed the monster sitting quietly at the side of the lot. He could almost hear the deep throttle of power coming from the engine in his mind. He let Mac down again, but kept a hold of the leash, his eyes alight with admiration as gaped longingly at the Ford.

"What do you think Jack? You like it?" Daniel asked, running his sleeve covered hand over the hood proudly as if wiping away an imaginary finger-mark.

Jack handed the leash to Daniel and took a few minutes to walk all round it, greatly admiring it. He peered in through the windows and whistled with appreciation, almost green with envy. It was bigger than his old truck and came with all the latest gadgets too. He sighed when he thought back to his own baby. It had been totalled in the accident and he would have to get Sam to take him to the yard to pick out another one.

Daniel opened the door and Jack leaned in to study the latest technological wizardry incorporated into the design. He looked round at his friend who appeared flushed, beaming with delight.

"Since when did you go all out and buy yourself a decent set of wheels Daniel? She's a beauty." He ran his hands over the seats, feeling the supple softness of the tan leather under his fingers.

"Oh, it's not mine Jack," Daniel denied ownership. "I could never own anything like this. It would be wasted on me."

Jack pulled away from the driver's doorway, almost afraid that the owner would come along and tear him limb from limb for touching his baby.

"What? It's not yours?" he gaped.

"Nope," Daniel replied, shaking his head.

Sam came over to stand next to Jack. She took his hand and waited for Daniel to enlighten him.

"Then to whom does it belong Daniel?" Jack persisted, frowning at the man for falsely leading him to believe it was his.

Daniel tossed him a set of keys which Jack caught one handed.

"It's yours." Daniel's smile was smug and all knowing.

"What?" Jack was stunned; shaking his head because he was sure he hadn't heard that right.

"You heard me perfectly well Jack. She's yours. The insurance from your previous one, the one that you wrecked? They paid up and Sam picked this one out for you. She thought you'd like it."

He turned to gape at Sam.

"You picked this out? For me?"

"Uh huh!" she giggled, unable to keep the amusement in any longer. His face was a picture. If she thought he'd been surprised before, with the name of the gym, then his astonishment now was even greater.

"Wow!" Jack was struck dumb, his jaw flapping uselessly. "I love it Sam. How did you know? I mean...it's great. I just can't believe it's mine!"

"Go on Jack. Get in," Daniel urged.

As if in a dream, Jack climbed up into the truck, trying it out for size. He wrapped his hands around the steering wheel and made himself comfortable. It was a dream. He was pretty sure of that. Perhaps he had died in that pool and he was now in heaven? It certainly felt like he was. He had his health back; he had Sam; he even had a dog, and now he had a brand new truck. What more could he possibly need or want?

"I don't know what to say," he sighed, feeling overwhelmed with an urge to hug them all. "Thank you sounds a little too clichéd and definitely inadequate, but well, thanks!" He stretched his jaw; a reaction against the raw emotions rising too near to the surface from inside him.

"Just promise us, Jack, that you'll drive carefully?" the General requested with a smile. He pushed the thoughts of Jack's last mishap with a truck from his mind, not wanting to think how lucky the Colonel was that he hadn't been killed that day.

"Yeahsureyoubetcha!" he replied softly, still grinning; awe struck with wonder.

He started the engine and pumped the gas pedal, listening to and loving the deep throaty roar of restrained power emanating from under the hood.

"Oh yeah baby!" he crowed gleefully.

Sam rolled her eyes, meeting with the same reaction from Janet.

"You chose it," Janet sighed. Boys and their toys! "You're gonna have to live with it!"

"C'mon Sam. Jump in!" Jack called over the noise. "Come Mac!" Mac leapt up into the truck and whuffed against Jack, wagging his tail non-stop.

Sam shrugged resignedly at her friends, then walked round to the other side to climb in, buckling her seat belt. She put her hand through the loop of Mac's leash then held on Mac's collar to keep him safe.

"Okay," Jack grinned, shutting his door and lowering the window. "See you guys in a coupla weeks."

He pulled away, waving back at his friends as he drove to the main gates. "Let's go home Sam."

She sidled as close as she could and placed her hand on his thigh, giving it a little squeeze. Mac sat next to her, his nose poking from the open window catching the exciting new smells that came his way.

"Whatever you say Jack." She was happy to comply. Jack was obviously thrilled with the truck and she was more than thrilled at the prospect of marrying him and being with him for the rest of her life.

Life couldn't be better.

TBC


	28. It's Elementary My Dear Watson

_Thanks for all those wonderful reviews guys! _

_I managed to get this written when I found myself with a few spare hours because my company took off for a day out in Nottingham. Housework? No way! LOL! Got this done instead. Hope you find it helps to clear things up a little... This is for you Feb04!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"Whatever you say Jack." She was happy to comply. Jack was obviously thrilled with the truck and she was thrilled at the prospect of marrying him and being with him for the rest of her life.

Life couldn't be better.

Chapter 28 – It's Elementary My Dear Watson.

The guard swiped his card through the reader and the door popped open. Jack pushed his way through cautiously. Not that there was any danger from within the room. He would be perfectly safe. He closed the door behind him, waiving any company away. He stood for a moment, his head cocked slightly to the right as he studied the woman lying on the bunk behind the bars of the cell.

Shoving his hands casually into his pockets he sauntered over to stand a couple of feet away. There was no sense in getting any closer and asking for possible trouble. Not that he deemed her a risk. Far from it. She had already proven that she could have easily killed him but didn't. The gun she fired at him from close range contained nothing more dangerous than a training round. It could just as easily have held more than one live 'bullet', but it hadn't.

Cindy had heard him enter, instinctively knowing it was him, but so far had ignored his approach, until now.

Swinging her legs round, her feet hit the cool concrete floor, and she offered him a cursory smile.

"How's the shoulder?" she inquired, though Jack was sure that it was merely a rhetorical question rather than expressing any real concern over his health.

"Fine." His answer was succinct and just as perfunctory as was the synthetic question.

Jack stood, for once patiently waiting for her to open the conversation but she was just as closed off as he was. Eventually though, his notoriously short fuse sparked and he started the opening round.

"You wanted to see me. I'm here. So...?"

Cindy sighed. Looking up at him, she stood, stepping across the short gap until she was standing facing him; the bars and laser beams merely inches from her features.

"I wanted to apologise."

"And you thought this would make it better? How so?"

"No. Not for that. I was gonna take you out Jack. That's what they paid me for."

"So why didn't you?"

Jack's eyes narrowed until he was almost squinting at her. He couldn't figure her out at all. She had been nice to him; helped him when he needed it... But...? It was a big 'but'; he couldn't figure it out and it bothered him. He'd always relied on his ability to act on his senses, but this time they'd let him down and it had shaken him.

"Because, despite what you did, I..." she broke off, changing tack. "I put myself in Sam's place, Jack. I would have given anything for Nick to have rescued me like you did Sam that time. I got to thinking how lucky she was to have you. Nick... well, I loved him, but he was certainly no Galahad." She snorted with derision then. A sad sound that Jack felt meant that this Nick's adulation was a mere pipe dream in her head. "Don't get me wrong we loved each other, but he wasn't... There was no romance in our lives and I had to learn to live with it. I couldn't take that away from Sam. I saw how you two were together. She's a lucky woman and I envy her."

"Okay. That's..." Jack floundered to think of something that didn't sound too clichéd, but couldn't.

"It's alright Jack. Don't worry. I understand. I wanted to hate her. I wanted to hate you, but I couldn't. The reason being that I hated Kinsey even more than I did you two. Look on it this way if you will; I got paid to do the job, to get rid of you for him, but instead I chose to thumb my nose at him instead. I'm not expecting any favours from anyone, least of all you. I'm just happy that Kinsey got his just rewards and that Sam got to keep you. All those days we spent getting you to walk again... those long painful hours of building your strength up... it was... you were a big challenge for me Jack. I really wanted to get you back on your feet... and I couldn't see all that hard won effort go to waste now, could I?"

"Mark said that you knew what he was going to do. That was why you arranged for me to attend that perticular gym at the time."

"That's true, yes, but... I was under a lot of pressure, and..." She broke off sniffing a little and moved away, turning her back on Jack and flinging herself onto the edge of the cot before she looked up at him again.

"I was angry. Well, more annoyed than that I guess. I wanted revenge, but when I saw the bungled results I felt guilty. Sam was so heartbroken that I guess I felt ashamed of my part in the whole sordid deal. There was still the pressure to finish the job. You're lucky my evil twin didn't win the battle Jack. It could have so easily gone the other way."

Jack took it all in. Every word, and he understood her. Heard the desperation in her voice and saw it in the slump of her shoulders. He could only thank her that she had allowed the good side to win.

Jack ran a hand over his face and up through his hair, making it spike in every which way all the more. He was about to say that the least he could do for her was to have the court go easy on her, when she yelled at him, taking him by surprise.

"Get out of here Jack. Just leave me the hell alone!" Then having succeeded in shocking him, her voice softened slightly; it was now filled with taut emotions running too near to the surface.

"For what it's worth I'm sorry. Sorry I ever laid eyes on you. You and Sam were made for each other. Go to her, you lucky sonovabitch!"

Cindy sobbed and flopped back on the cot, turning her backto him; the conversation evidently over.

Jack didn't say what was on his mind. It probably wouldn't have made any difference to the outcome. He turned and took two strides, knocking on the door to be let out.

The door opened and he stepped into the opening. Pausing there for a brief moment, he looked back over his shoulder at the recumbent form.

There was only one thing left to say, and he would say it even if she didn't want to hear it.

"Thanks!" And then he was gone.

Cindy heard it, and now the tears came faster. She still hadn't explained the real reason she had spared his life. That would remain her secret until her dying day, and she would take it with her to the grave. It had no meaning. It defied logic and held no hope. It wouldn't have made any difference to whatever sentence she was to serve. It wasn't earth-shattering, and it wasn't vital to the Stargate programme either. In fact it was completely the opposite because the only person it was affecting, was her.

She could never openly acknowledge the fact that during the short time she had worked with one pig-headed, stubborn Colonel Jack O'Neill she had actually fallen in love with him. Hook, Line and Sinker. Simply put, she just couldn't bring herself to put a real bullet into him. It would have killed her as well as him. The fact that she'd used a dummy round only went to prove that she couldn't do it. Unrequited love was so very, very painful, and hard to live with. If she was the jealous type then she could have killed Sam, but she wasn't, so Sam got to live and love the man that she couldn't have. She hoped to god that Sam would cherish what she had for however long the couple would spend together in this life. The love they apparently shared was something she had never known could exist. And likely never would.

OoOoOoOoO

General Hammond looked up at the knock and smiled.

"Come on in Jack. Can't stay away huh? What can I do for you?"

Jack, hands back in his pockets now, sauntered in, looking pensive.

"Something wrong Jack?"

"Huh?" he responded absently. "Oh, no sir. I just talked...well 'listened' would be more an accurate interpretation...to Cindy. I got a message that she wanted to see me."

"Ah! And?" Hammond knew of her request of course, and had passed the message on. Whether Jack responded was up to him, and obviously he had called by.

"Well, to cut a long story short, she was supposed to shoot me for real, but...couldn't bring herself to do it apparently. Hence the bruise, which I still have by the way. Still hurts too."

Jack leaned against the shelving units behind him, resting his backside on the edge, then stretched his long legs out in front, only to cross them at the ankles. His relaxed posture giving a false impression of the tension inside him at that point.

"But you don't think it was an adequate explanation?"

"To put it bluntly? No sir." He sighed. There had been something there, hovering just below the surface of her words, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure it out.

"I wouldn't read too much into it Jack. 'Let sleeping dogs lie' and all that. Just accept that she didn't kill you and get on with your life. You can't keep harping on what ifs."

Hammond watched for a few moments and smiled with relief when Jack seemed to come back to himself; his quiet musings apparently pushed to the back of his mind.

"No sir."

Jack fished in his jacket pocket and took out several pale yellow envelopes, sorting through them. He found the one he was obviously looking for and handed it to the General.

"This is for you George. Well, the girls really," he said, grinning like a cat that ate the cream.

Without even reading it, Hammond could tell what it was.

"Thank you Jack. I'll be sure to pass this on to them."

"You do that sir. Your necessary attendance goes without saying of course. Is there any news of Jacob's whereabouts yet?"

"Not yet," Hammond sighed with disappointment. As much as he felt privileged to walk Sam down the aisle, he was sure she would prefer Jacob to be there. "but there's still time Jack."

"Not much there isn't." Jack countered quickly. The date they had set for the wedding was fast approaching. More than anything, he was holding out that Jacob would make it in time.

"Don't lose hope just yet Jack. If it's at all possible he will be here. We've left dozens of messages with the Tok'ra."

"Yeah. Damn snakes!" he muttered under his breath, though Hammond had a good idea of what Jack had uttered softly.

"I guess I'd better get these out, or Sam will call it off."

"I doubt that Jack. Though perhaps it's wise that you shouldn't provoke her."

Jack's eyes widened at this bringing a smirk to Hammond's lips. Was his 'kick ass...hard as nails' 2IC afraid of his future wife already? There was nothing like a woman scorned as the saying went.

"You'd better go then Jack. I'll see you next week."

"Yes sir. Don't be late!"

"That's Sam's prerogative Jack, not mine!"

Jack shook his head but disappeared out of the door quickly. He had things to do before that very special day arrived.

TBC


	29. The Aliens Are Coming!

_Well, we're getting there. Here's another chapter. A little bit of humour and fluffy stuff to lighten the mood after all that angst in the past. I hope you enjoy it._

_Thanks for all those reviews. Keep 'em coming and I'll keep writin'._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

Jack shook his head but disappeared out of the door quickly. He had things to do before that very special day arrived.

Chapter 29 – The Aliens Are Coming!

General Hammond chuckled as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. He just couldn't help it. The news was just so damn wonderful. He listened a little more before answering.

"Yes sir, Mr. President. I'll be sure to do that. Thank you sir. I will."

Hammond was still smiling when he replaced the hand set of the red phone and sat leaning back in his leather chair savouring the conversation he'd just had with his Commander-in-Chief.

He picked up the newspaper lying on his desk and re-read the headlines again just to make sure it was a dream come true.

He wasn't the only person under Cheyenne Mountain wearing a huge grin this morning.

Walter had been sporting a wide smile ever since he'd brought the paper in to show the General.

"**Senator Kinsey Committed!" **the headline was screaming.

Hammond read it again with another deep chuckle.

_The mystery surrounding Senator Robert Kinsey's disappearance, deepened last night with his sudden reappearance._

_Senator Kinsey had gone missing a week ago with no clue as to his whereabouts. Police were reluctant to admit to the Senator's supposed kidnapping when no ransom note was forthcoming._

_However, the Senator was wanted by the FBI in connection with embezzlement of funds from the Appropriations Committee of which he was chairman. A warrant for his arrest was issued when his wife exposed his less than honest dealings to the President._

_No trace of the Senator had been found up until last night when he suddenly appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere. _

_A downtown Washington Police Precinct was in a furore when Police officer Patrick McCafferty heard a commotion in one of the station's cells which should have been empty. On investigating the mysterious yelling, he found the Senator locked behind the bars with an even stranger explanation of how he came to be there._

_Under interrogation Kinsey stated that he had been abducted from a top secret base in Colorado by a naked little grey alien called Thor during a conversation he was having in a morgue between himself and a dead USAF officer which he insisted that he himself had ordered killed. The man in question, a Colonel serving with the USAF, stated that he was very much alive and has denied the rumour that he had died at the Senator's explicit command. _

_Kinsey then insisted that he had spent the last week kidnapped and abandoned by this little grey alien on a deserted planet somewhere in a Galaxy far, far away, leaving him god-awful horrible little multicoloured squares of food on which to survive. The Senator, looking extremely scruffy and in desperate need of a shower and a shave, then insisted that the Alien had 'beamed' him directly into the prison cell and had left him there in order to confess his past crimes._

_He readily admitted that he had starved a secret government organisation called the Stargate Programme of its necessary funding simply because they wouldn't make nice with the aliens that they encountered on a daily basis. Citing that, this particular Colonel, wouldn't steal alien technology in order to save this planet from the greatest enemy a human has ever known. A White House spokesman has issued a statement explaining that the base beneath NORAD inside Cheyenne mountain, whilst important in it's own way, was merely a research station investigating Deep Space Telemetry. _

_The President has also issued a statement, explaining that the Senator had been under a lot of stress recently and that it had obviously unhinged his old friend's mind. Mrs. Kinsey has also admitted that her husband had been utterly obsessed with this Colonel Starsky, who seemed such a nice man, and that the Senator was allowing his insane jealousy of the Colonel, to override all his thoughts and cited it as just one of the reasons behind her filing for divorce. Another, being that he was just a mean bully and completely off his rocker._

_A special medical team was hastily convened to assess the Senator's mental condition and all were in agreement that the Senator should be interned in a secure hospital for the foreseeable future. On hearing this, Kinsey went berserk and attacked the staff, yelling up at the ceiling as he was carried away, that the little grey alien should get his naked 'ass' down here and start explaining things. _

_Rumour has it that he is now confined to a padded cell and deemed a threat to society. It will doubtless be a long time before the Ex-Senator will see the light of day unless his condition improves drastically._

_Ed Simpkins, Washington Daily._

Hammond couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy, but then he'd brought it on himself, and deserved everything he received as a reward for what he'd done in the past, especially to Jack. Jack certainly didn't deserve to be taken out just because he had stood up to Kinsey's bullying tactics.

General Hammond twisted his wrist and glanced at his watch. Another twenty-four hours and Jack would receive his just rewards for being a damn fine officer and an assiduous hero.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam studied her reflection in the long mirror critically, chewing her lip in uncertainty and nervousness. The butterflies flitting around inside her felt like a herd of elephants on the rampage.

She glanced up to catch the reflection of her greatest ally behind her, whose smile was one of reassurance.

Janet Fraiser placed her hands on Sam's shoulders and gave them a little squeeze. She sniffed back the threatening tears and gave a wobbly smile. Sam looked absolutely stunning in the ivory taffeta dress.

They hadn't had much time to put this wedding together and Sam was worried that it was too soon for everything to run so smoothly. It wasn't the dress she would have chosen, but as far as wedding dresses went, it was okay, and didn't need much alteration for it to fit her tall slender but shapely figure. She wanted to look her best for Jack on their big day, and the store had gone all out to get things ready for her.

"Sam. You look stunning. So beautiful," Janet said, her wide beam lighting up her face. "Everything will be fine." The petite medic wiped away a stray tear and turned away to hide the fact that weddings always made her cry. The fact that they hadn't even started the ceremony yet was immaterial.

"Janet. I..."

"Don't say it Sam. You love Jack. He loves you...a lot I might add. So what's the problem?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Sam said, gulping down the nausea rising in her throat.

"No you're not. It's just nerves. You'll be fine once we get going. Here; take a drink of this. It'll help."

Sam looked doubtfully at the amber liquid her friend poured into the glass and shook her head.

"No Janet. I can't. If I can't do this without taking a good stiff drink then I shouldn't be going through with it. The last thing I need out there is to end up tipsy or with hiccoughs. Jack would be upset and probably kill me afterwards!"

"If I know anything about men, he's already had more than his fair share of alcohol to steady his nerves," Janet replied wryly.

"No he wouldn't Jan. I know he's not like that!"

Cassie burst into the room just then, putting an end to the conversation. Her eyes were as big and round as dishes when she caught sight of her favourite 'Aunty'.

Janet took the opportunity afforded by the distraction and downed the liquid in one gulp, giving Sam a helpless look and a shrug. Sam frowned but kept her tongue.

"Oooh Sam! You look sooo beautiful," Cassie gushed. "Jack won't be able to take his eyes off you," she sniggered. She had been over the moon when Jack and Sam had broken the news to her that they were going to get married. She'd hugged both of them so tightly that they had complained they couldn't breathe.

Sam glanced in the mirror again, trying to find a flaw in her appearance.

Cassie giggled.

"Silly Sam, there's nothing wrong with your dress. It's perfect. Jack will love it, besides, he's marrying you, not the dress." Sam finally had to agree that she was right. The dress didn't matter, the ceremony did.

Cassie came to stand in front of the mirror too, studying herself. She didn't get to dress up very often, preferring to wear jeans and T-shirts.

"You look great Cassie. That colour really suits you."

Cassandra Fraiser glanced down at the pale yellow dress and smiled.

"Really? I wasn't sure but Mom said the same, so I guess it's okay."

Janet as matron of honour had managed to find herself a pale blue dress that showed off her trim figure too, hoping to impress a certain archaeologist not a million miles away and totally clueless. At least, if it caused him to arrest she could give him mouth to mouth.

There was a knock on the door, and Sam's stomach hit the floor. Janet opened it cautiously and peered out through the slight crack. It had better not be Jack!

General Hammond stood there. Looking smart in his dress blues. Janet opened the door wider and he stepped into the room; his eyes widening with surprise before softening into affection. He walked towards Sam and took her hands in his, holding her fingers firmly.

"You look wonderful Sam. God, Jack's a lucky man. You're as beautiful as your mother had been on her wedding day. I was envious of Jacob that day, just as I feel jealous of Jack now. Hell, I wish I was a lot younger today. You sure you won't change your mind?"

Sam giggled and leaned forward to brush a sweet kiss over the General's cheek.

"Thank you Uncle George," she sighed, feeling tearful.

Hammond sighed too. It had been many years since she'd used that name for him. Being an officer in the USAF too, it hadn't seemed appropriate, but here today, it was okay. More than okay, and he was so proud of her.

"Are you ready?" he asked, pulling himself together. He picked up his cap and tucked it under his left arm, offering her his right.

Sam nodded and laid her hand over his forearm and received the bouquet of yellow and red roses from Janet in the other. Cassie led the way out into the vestibule and waited. She grinned up at the General waiting there for the bride, but he pressed his finger to his lips and Cassie nodded.

Sam and General Hammond stepped from the room and Sam's startled but welcome gasp of surprise was all that was all the reward the General needed to make her day extra special for her.

"Hey. Can I but in here Sam? I think this is my role George."

"Dad!"

TBC


	30. I Will!

_Well, I didn't want to keep you all waiting for too long. Here's the wedding as requested. Hope you all like it._

_Thank you so much for those lovely reviews. I hope you will continue to let me know if you like what you read!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"Hey. Can I butt in here Sam? I think this is my role George."

"Dad!"

Chapter 30 – "I Will!"

Sam wore the biggest smile on her face as she prepared to walk up the aisle to the strains of the Bridal March from Wagner's opera, Lohengrin on her father's arm. Her father was actually here, having pulled out all the stops to reach the chapel on time. They'd shared a warm extended hug, though Jacob was careful not to crush her dress. He just stood there utterly besotted, dumbstruck, as he gazed lovingly at his daughter on her wedding day, something that he'd thought he'd never live to see if it wasn't for Selmak. She was beautiful, radiant even, and looking lovelier than ever. He sighed, wondering what her mother would have made of it all. She would have been so proud and probably cried her eyes out too. He was damn proud of her. Even her choice of Jack O'Neill hadn't bothered him. He was a good man underneath all that bullshit, and Sam obviously loved him. He could live with that.

Only George Hammond had believed that Jacob, once he'd heard about the wedding, would move heaven and earth to be there if he could. He'd kept his fingers crossed that his old buddy would make it, and he had.

George left them to pull themselves together while he walked calmly down the aisle to take a seat at the front of the chapel alongside his 'girls'. He had to pull a few strings to get all this organised, but by god, he'd managed it. He'd had the President's backing of course, so when he'd yelled, 'jump' they all had. The result was that here they were holding a traditional wedding in the spectacular looking Academy chapel in Colorado Springs in record time.

Jack looked up when he saw his CO walking towards him. Panic seized him as he began to think that Sam had changed her mind and that Hammond was going to tell him the wedding was off. He felt his knees go weak as the General came nearer. Daniel sensing this, grabbed his arm to steady him, worried too.

"No," he whispered in anguish. He was shaking his head. Was the bottom about to drop out of his world?

Daniel standing beside him wondered what was going on too, but as he strained to see, he noticed that Hammond was actually grinning.

General Hammond approached the Colonel with a sudden realisation that Jack looked about to collapse from extremely worry. He beamed as he stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on Jack's arm.

"Relax Jack. Just a slight change of plans is all. Sam will be here in a moment."

Jack didn't look as if he could relax. Although, Hammond's words had quelled the lurching in his stomach a little. He was still nervous. He was it he could face the worst of the enemy without so much as a tremble, but now he was here he was shaking like a leaf? Because he was getting hitched? Oiy!

He nodded to Hammond, unable to find his voice. He needed a good stiff drink. Water. Anything, just to loosen up his tongue in order to be able to repeat his vows.

Teal'c standing alongside his friends, handed Jack a small bottle of water without so much as a word. Jack accepted it with grateful thanks and took a quick swallow.

"Thanks T." He handed it back just as the first notes of the March echoed from the organ.

He pulled himself upright and the minister beckoned him forward ready to receive his bride. Jack looked back down the aisle, pleasantly surprised to see Jacob proudly leading Sam towards him. He understood then, and could only smile in response. Sam had had her wish come true. Her father was walking her down the aisle behind a prettily dressed Cassie.

After a moment to reflect how Sam must have felt at having her dad here, he took note of the dress she wore as she drew nearer. The ivory material shimmered under the light and reflected the multicoloured lights of the stained glass windows. She looked radiant. He couldn't see her eyes under the veil, but he could only guess they were vibrant and most probably moist from emotion.

It still amazed him that they were about to take this huge step forward in their relationship. He still couldn't believe his luck that she actually wanted him. A tired old battle-scarred veteran that he was? He was sure he was dreaming. Especially after all he'd gone through so recently.

Sam only had eyes for him; every step of the way she kept her gaze firmly fixed on the man of her dreams standing there looking so damn handsome in his dress blues. She'd always had a thing about men in uniform, but, hot dang, Jack O'Neill had caught her eye the very first time she'd laid eyes on him and it gave her a thrill every time he wore it in her presence. There was just something about Jack and his now silver hair and that uniform; it just did indecent things to her mind and body. The man was perfection in her eyes, despite his rather embarrassed denial of it when she'd mentioned the fact.

Sam came to a halt and gazed up into Jack's face, slightly blurred from the moisture filling her eyes which were hidden from view for now.

Daniel's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Janet. He swallowed and knew he was in a whole heap of trouble; especially when she batter her eyelids at him. Pulling his eyes away with difficulty he tried hard to focus on the service.

The minister called to everyone's attention and the ceremony began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to join together John and Samantha..."

"...John will you take Samantha to be your lawful wife? Will you love her, honour and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live?"

"I will." Jack's response was quiet but determined.

"And Samantha, will you take John to be your lawful husband? Will you love him, honour and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

Sam kept her eyes on Jack, sending him all her love in the simple words that she uttered in reply.

"I will."

Jack felt his heart swell with love for his bride while the minister rambled on and before he knew it, they had moved on to the exchanging of rings.

"Samantha, with this ring, I thee wed." Jack repeated, his voice wavering with emotion as he slipped the gold band onto Sam's finger with a big smile.

"John, with this ring, I thee wed," Sam replied pushing the ring onto Jack's third finger and holding his hand for longer than necessary. She didn't want to let go.

"You have consented together to be bound to one another in lawful marriage. You have made special promises to each other which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, taking of vows and by the giving and receiving of rings. By the authority vested in me, according to the laws of Colorado I now pronounce you to be husband and wife. Now that the ceremony is over and the experience of living day by day is about to begin, go and meet it gladly. You may now kiss the bride!"

Jack needed no encouragement and moved into Sam's arms without hesitation. The kiss was languorous and sweet and held a promise of things to come.

The minister held his breath as the kiss continued, much to everyone's raucous amusement, he politely coughed and Jack pulled back rather sheepishly. Sam giggled and dropped her gaze to the floor, heat flooding her cheeks.

"Please give a warm welcome to Colonel and Mrs. John O'Neill." The minister announced to the congregation and Jack and Sam turned to face their friends and family.

All too soon, though not soon enough for Jack, they were walking back to the chapel's entrance to the strains of Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary, played by the Academy's musicians who had been practicing the piece ever since their presence had been requested.

There were photographers waiting outside and Jack and Sam waited patiently for the pictures to be taken. Apparently, General Hammond whispered in Jack's ear when he'd been surprised by the appearance of the official photographer, the man was there at the request of the President, who unfortunately couldn't attend. So he'd ordered the next best thing as a wedding gift to the happy couple. A permanent reminder of their special day. Unknown to the couple at the time, there was also a video being taken.

The whole thing had been possible due to the President's intervention. Without his help, there wouldn't have been a wedding ceremony; not here at least. It would have been a quick civil service over in Las Vegas if the President hadn't stamped his official seal on things. Jack didn't mind at all. It had been Sam's dream to have a traditional wedding and anything she wanted; she got! According to General Hammond, the service and the hastily put together reception and catering was the gift of a grateful nation for saving them against the Goa'uld and anything else they had fought against. It was the least the President could do for them without giving away the biggest secret on earth.

OoOoOoOoO

The function room at the Academy was filled with guests, though Jack swore he didn't know who half of them were.

He and Sam mingled as much as they could while trying to snatch a bite to eat from the odd passing tray of food that came their way.

Most of the top brass, who hadn't been invited but were there at the President's behest, had drifted away during the afternoon, leaving only those special guests that the couple had requested for the main reception.

Jacob was catching up with Mark and his family; his grandchildren having fun with their little seen grandpa.

General Hammond had been looking after his granddaughters as well as entertaining the top brass.

As the afternoon turned into evening, it was time for the dancing to commence, and the musicians set up their gear. Being an old tradition the happy couple were to be the first to take to the floor, encouraged by whistles and hoots of approval from people like Ferretti and Dixon who cheered them on.

The music began and Jack led Sam into the middle of the room. The crowd fell silent as the song began. Jack pulled Sam into his arms and keeping his eyes on her brilliant blue ones, they started to sway to the rhythm.

"This is for you Sam. These words are meant for you," he whispered in her ear before brushing a feather-light kiss on her neck just below her ear, causing her to shiver with excitement. As the song played out, so her smile deepened to one where she thought she would actually burst. As it was, tears filled her eyes as she listened to the song unfold.

"_Together feels so right  
The two of us are so alike  
This must be destiny  
You and I are meant to be._

_Two hearts, one love  
A love that's deeper than the night  
A love forever burning bright  
Two hearts, one dream. _

_A dream that's coming true for us  
'Cause baby here we are  
Now you're part of me  
We're in one love with these two hearts._

_I didn't know til now  
You're the one thing I can't do without  
In your arms the whole night through  
I can't help lose myself in you._

_I know that heaven was listening  
'Cause I was only existing  
Til I saw forever in your eyes  
And now we'll be for all our lives."_

"I love you Sam!"

Sam wept tears of happiness and held him close. This was the happiest day of her life.

TBC

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to this song. I don't even know where it comes from but there is no copyright breach intended.


	31. After the Ball is Over

_Thank you once again for all your reviews and I'm really glad you're enjoying this. Just one more chapter to go, probably, though I won't be certain until I've actually written it._

_I've upped the rating on this as there are one or two places where it gets a little steamy. Nothing explicit though. Enjoy!_

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"I love you Sam!"

Sam wept tears of happiness and held him close. This was the happiest day of her life.

Chapter 31 – After The Ball is Over.

When their special dance had finished, they took a bow in answer to the excited yells, whistles and cheers of their many friends, both of them flushed slightly from the warm room. Well, that was their excuse anyway.

As soon as Jack led Sam back to their seats they weren't allowed to sit down before they were being led back onto the dance floor.

"I didn't know you could dance Jack?" Daniel stated, surprised to find that Jack was fairly good at it from what he could see. He wasn't just shuffling round the floor at least.

"I'm an officer in the USAF Daniel. It's all part of the deal. We all have to attend formal functions on occasions, so learning to dance is sort of compulsory if you don't want to look an ass in public."

"Wow. I guess I never...well, I just didn't expect you to is all."

"Actually Daniel," Sam said with a grin. "He won't admit to it, but he's quite good at it."

"Oh please!" Jack groaned, rolling his eyes. He had a reputation to think of.

Sam giggled at his pained expression and Daniel sniggered, then stood up to bow to Sam.

"Mrs O'Neill, will you do me the honour of standing up with me for this dance?" Daniel was all formal and politeness.

"I'd love to Dr. Jackson," she giggled, offering him her hand and looking back over her shoulder at her new husband to seeing if he was jealous or not. Apparently not, judging by his smug grin.

"Colonel? May I?"

Jack looked down to see a twinkle in Janet's eye; a wicked gleam hiding there as she watched Daniel and Sam head off. Jack shrugged thinking this could be fun. He wasn't blind to the attraction the Doc held for the blue eyed wonder boy, and he knew Daniel liked Janet a lot too.

"Sure Doc. Why not." He took Janet's hand and led her out onto the floor near to where Sam and Daniel were already dancing. They twirled around the room for a couple of minutes before they got close enough to bump into the others. Then Jack made his move, and before Daniel knew what was happening he found himself waltzing with Janet.

"Hey! What happened? I was dancing with Sam."

"Not any more Daniel. Have fun!" Jack retorted smugly.

Sam giggled as Jack neatly turned them away from the other two and left them behind. Sam lightly punched Jack on the shoulder but couldn't help the smirk on her lips.

"You know you're evil, don't you?" she whispered to her husband.

"Oh yeah, but not as evil as Janet apparently. It was all her fault." Jack said trying to pout but not succeeding because he couldn't hide the mischievous grin that was lifting his cheek and lighting his dark eyes.

Sam loved him when he pulled that lop-sided, not so innocent, grin. He looked a hell of a lot younger than his half-century years when he did that. He always acted younger than his age, that was one of the reasons she loved him so much; he was young at heart, and certainly not as dumb as he acted.

Daniel swallowed harshly. They'd left him with Janet of all people. He tried to quell the rising panic and fixed his eyes over the top of the tiny medic's auburn head as he whirled her round the floor unable to think of something to say. Janet was trying hard to have a decent conversation but it was difficult when she either had to content herself with talking to his chest or give herself a crick in the neck trying to look up at his face. Feeling something needed to be done, she deliberately missed the next steps and trod on his toes with her high heels.

Daniel yelped and hopped around, while Janet, tongue in cheek, gushed out profuse apologies and helped him back to their seats. She made a big thing out of insisting she took a look at his foot to make sure he was okay. She also insisted that he should drink something for the shock, so Daniel found himself drinking a glass of Jack Daniels practically poured down his throat and gasping for breath as it burned a trail of fire down his gullet.

"I'm fine Janet. Honestly. More than fine, really," he spluttered still trying to catch his breath.

"Are you sure Daniel? You're a little flushed and you are gonna have a nasty bruise there for a few days."

"Actually," he said, feeling somewhat braver after his second glass of the amber liquid. "I think I'm in need of some extended first aid here."

Janet's face fell, thinking that perhaps he was really injured, maybe she had broken his toe?

"What is it? Tell me Daniel," she cried full of remorse and reaching for the whiskey herself .

Daniel looked over to see Jack and Sam watching closely from their position and Teal'c sitting at the table with General Hammond watching him closely. The girls were too busy giggling and making goo goo eyes at the young airmen around the room to notice them.

"I think I definitely need reviving after that shock. Maybe a little mouth to mouth might work?" Daniel suggested hopefully. What the heck, if you can't beat them, join them!

"I believe, Cassandra Fraiser," Teal'c proposed, "that it would be prudent for us to move onto the dance floor."

Cassie giggled, having sampled a few glasses worth of whatever was available at their table while everyone was busy dancing.

"Okay Teal'c. Can you dance?" she asked. She'd glanced over at her mother and could see her downing a glass full of booze, certain that her mother was going to have a hangover in the morning.

Janet watched her daughter go off with Teal'c and knew he'd look after her, so she made herself comfortable on Daniel's lap and began her life saving manoeuvres.

"How many of those has she had?" Hammond asked Teal'c as he withdrew from the table too, taking his granddaughters onto the floor to dance with the Jaffa and Cassie.

"I am not sure General Hammond. I believe she referred to her second glass as much needed 'Dutch Courage'. Though I am mystified as to what Dr. Fraiser's consumption of alcohol has to do with that nation."

Hammond chuckled and told Teal'c that he should get Daniel to explain it to him in the morning. He decided that it really was time to take the girls home after the music finished, before things got out of hand. Learning about sex education was one thing but to see it up close and personal in public was a little too much at their age. Especially as he didn't know how far those two would go. At least Jack and Sam had more sense.

Who would have thought that his CMO had that much fire tucked away in that petite frame of hers. As for Dr. Jackson, well, they say it's the quiet ones that you should keep an eye on, and boy were they right! Those two were certifiable! Good job it was fairly dark in the room with the lowered lighting. They had already decided that Cassie should go home with him and stay overnight at his house; the girls would love to have her company so there would be no need for the Doctor to worry about her daughter.

As soon as Jack and Sam came back to the table, General Hammond congratulated them again and said goodbye, reminding them that they only had a week away before they were due to return to the SGC to start work.

Jack hugged Cassie, Tessa and Kayla and walked them to the door along with Sam, waving them off.

OoOoOoOoO

After many more dances with friends and relatives. Sam and Jack danced the last dance of the evening together to a gentle rendition of 'The Wind Beneath My Wings'.

_Did you ever know that you're my hero,  
and ev'rything I would like to be?  
I can fly higher than an eagle,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings._

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,   
but I've got it all here in my heart.  
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it,  
I would be nothing with out you. Did you ever know that you're my hero,  
and ev'rything I would like to be?  
I can fly higher than an eagle,   
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Fly, fly, fly away,  
you let me fly so high.  
Oh, fly, fly,  
so high against the sky, so high I almost touch the sky.  
Thank you, thank you, thank God, for you,  
the wind beneath my wings. 

The music ended and Jack held Sam against him whilst people came up to them and shook hands or hugged and kissed Sam, wishing them well for the future. It was time for them to leave the party. They had a special flight laid on to get them to Minnesota.

Jack looked down at the couple engaged in tonsil hockey and snorted with amusement. He tapped Daniel on the shoulder, interrupting the kissing.

"Daniel. Do everyone a favour, go get a room huh? Sam and I are off now."

"Already?" they both gasped, embarrassed and looking a little worse for wear. "It can't be that time already?" Janet added looking at Daniel's watch. She now noticed that both Sam and Jack had already changed out of their wedding outfits and were wearing casual clothing under black leather jackets.

"It is, and we're off. We'll see you guys next week."

There were hugs all round and kisses for Sam. The happy couple then left the reception waving behind them to all their friends as they were driven away.

Jack held Sam's hand all the way across town back to the SGC where they were to catch their ride.

"Happy Sam?"

"Hmmm!" she replied contentedly, snuggling into his shoulder. "Very!"

"Good!" he sighed satisfied with his lot. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and smiled. He reckoned he was the happiest man alive. Something he never thought he would ever be again.

OoOoOoOoO

Mac had whined for most of the afternoon and evening while the wedding was taking place. Walter had been given the task of looking after him at the base while Colonel O'Neill and Colonel Carter were celebrating their marriage, until they returned that evening to collect him and rendezvous with Thor.

The dog went absolutely crazy with joy as his master returned for him, smothering both of them in wet kisses and wagging his tail so hard that Jack thought it would fall off. They made their way to the briefing room where Walter was the only one to witness their departure in a blaze of bright light.

Mac didn't go much on being transported and barked at Thor to show he disapproved of being 'beamed' anywhere.

Jack smoothed his ruffled temper and fussed over him until he felt happier. Thor congratulated them on their nuptials and moments later, they were 'beamed' down to the cabin by the lake.

Alone at last, Jack lit the already prepared fire in the grate and watched for a few moments until the wood caught light, sending a warm flickering glow around the room. Mac immediately curled up on the rug in front of the heat, and settled in for the night.

They snuggled side by side for a while, just happy to be there while they chatted about the days events over a beer until it was late and the fire had died down.

Jack stood, and pulled Sam up into his arms, wrapping them round her snugly. She melted into his warm embrace, snaking her hands up under his shirt, making him shiver involuntary.

"God Sam. You looked beautiful today." Sam frowned up at him, and Jack realised that what he'd said and what he'd meant were two different things. "Well, I mean," he stumbled along, "you always look beautiful to me, but today; today you were absolutely stunning."

"Nice save, flyboy!" Sam giggled, making Jack sigh in relief at not being misunderstood. For a minute there he imagined that the impending divorce would have set a world record if he'd not corrected the error of his words.

"Oh c'mon Sam, for cryin' out loud. You know me and words. I meant you looked even **more** beautiful if that was at all possible."

Sam merely smiled at his wry expression. She raised a hand to cup his cheek, drawing his face down towards her to bestow a kiss on the slightly stubble covered chin. Then she gave him an absolutely blistering kiss that burned its way through his veins that sent all of his blood rushing south and set his toes curling in anticipation.

"Come to bed, husband," she growled wantonly and pulled away to unbutton his shirt slowly only to trace her fingers lightly over his pecs and trail them down his ribs towards his waist, making him shiver once more. He sucked in a huge breath, and thanked god that he certainly wouldn't be needing any little blue pills for a long time, if ever at this rate.

Taking his hand she led him towards the bedroom, almost purring whilst fluttering her eyelids at him. He followed meekly; his feet automatically moving him forward, driven by his mounting desire. So why did he get the feeling that **he** was the proverbial lamb being led to the slaughter?

Oh man, was he in for one hell of a ride! He only hoped he could keep up with his younger wife. It was either that or he was gonna die a very, very happy man.

TBC


	32. Epilogue part 1

_Here's part 1 of my Epilogue. I hadn't quite finished it all, but seeing as FF seems to have mislaid the last chapter somewhere, I don't think a lot of you got to read it. Hopefully posting this will give you the chance to catch up. Part 2 should be up tomorrow. Just a little angst – that's what the title's is all about after all. With Jack and Sam nothing is ever that simple. Don't worry though, you know I always end a story on a good note._

_Thanks for your reviews as always. I look forward to reading your comments. _

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

Oh man, was he in for one hell of a ride! He only hoped he could keep up with his younger wife. It was either that or he was gonna die a very, very happy man.

Chapter 32 – Epilogue part 1

Jack and Sam spent the whole week either lazing by the lake in the warmth of the sun, or taking the occasional long walks round the calm waters into the encroaching forest, following the trail that Jack's family had laid down over several generations. Mac loved it of course. Here he could roam round at will and sniff his way round all the exciting new smells of the forest floor.

The O'Neills had migrated to Minnesota during the potato famine in 1848 and settled there. Then great, great, great grandpa Brendon who was 14 at the time and his father, Sean, had built the cabin by the lake for them all to spend the summers away from the city heat. They were carpenters by trade and spent a lot of the time making furniture, from the wood in their little patch of forest, to sell once they returned to the city in the Fall.

Two generations that went off to war had seen the business fall into decline, and joining the military became the new family tradition. The trees had grown back now and no trace of their former trade was left, except in the carefully guarded secret that Jack was good at woodwork.

The cabin was filled with furniture that successive O'Neills had added to their home away from home, and Jack had inherited the place on the death of his beloved grandpa. His own father having died as the result of a tragic accident when Jack was a boy.

Sam learned it all during those wonderful days; wandering among the greenery or sitting patiently by the lake while Jack idly plied his fishing line into the fishless dark waters, filling her in with his past. It was a side of Jack she had never seen but had been dying to know. Now she did and she loved him all the more for knowing he could open up to her like that.

He in turn learned of Sam's sorrow when her mother had been killed in the accident. It seemed that even that tragic event, they had in common, both losing a parent. The one difference being that Sam still had Jacob, but Jack had lost his mother not long after Charlie's fifth birthday. His only sister had married and moved to Florida. Her husband didn't approve of the military and whenever they met they would always argue the point, so Maggie never kept in touch anymore, though she knew where to find him if she'd wanted to.

The drive home was a long tiring journey but they took turns in driving and it was with relief that they pulled up outside Jack's house. Sam had decided to sell her house, but refused to let Jack sell his. She'd always loved his ranch style house; so the week before the wedding they had moved her things into his house, now it was her home too. They called for a take out Chinese meal and relaxed in front of the TV before heading off to bed.

OoOoOoOoO

**Six Months Later**

The extended team had worked well and General Hammond was considering creating a new team in the same mould. The extra man power had helped, especially in a tough situation. He was in his office when the klaxons rang out. He jumped to his feet and hurried down to the control room.

"What have we got Sergeant?"

"IDC coming through now sir." Walter paused for a moment then continued. "It's SG-1Alpha sir. I'm getting an audio feed General. They're coming in hot!"

"Get that iris open. Now!" Hammond barked, then grabbing the microphone he yelled at the guards down below in the gate-room. "Defence teams stand by, friendlies coming in hot."

The soldiers took up defensive positions, their weapons pointing at the shimmering event horizon, ready for action.

Daniel came through first, staggering onto the ramp, a bloody arm held tightly against his side.

"We need a medical team down here. Sam's been hurt!" he yelled even as Teal'c came through supporting one of the younger team members with Jack close on his heels cradling Sam's limp form in his arms. The last man through came home backwards still firing his P-90 into the void. There was sporadic weapons fire coming through the wormhole making everyone instinctively duck.

"Close the iris!" someone yelled, though who it was, Walter couldn't tell, he just acted as soon as he saw all the team members return home. Hammond was already entering the now secure gate-room.

Jack was covered in blood and didn't stop to make his report, but headed straight out of the door on his way to the infirmary, not wanting to waste time waiting around for the medical team. He'd meet Janet on the way.

They met just outside the elevator and Jack gently laid his wife on the gurney, stubbornly clinging to her hand as they ran down the hallway towards the infirmary.

Once they had reached their destination, Janet took Sam's vitals while a nurse pulled the privacy curtain round the bed. Satisfied that Sam wasn't in any immediate danger, Janet turned to hustle Jack from the room.

He looked a mess, coated liberally in Sam's blood.

"Colonel. Sam appears to be just fine sir. Her vitals are good. I need a few minutes to examine her, clean her up and then run some tests. You need to get showered and changed too sir. By the time you're all done you should be able to see her."

"Promise?" Jack asked, looking extremely pale and worried. Janet couldn't help noticing the tremor in his voice or the doubt in his eyes.

"Yes sir. I don't think the wound is too bad. Head wounds always bleed a lot sir."

"C'mon Jack. Let Janet do her job," Daniel tried to pull Jack away, but he stood his ground, his eyes still fixed on the curtain behind which Sam lay.

"Daniel you're staying here. You're wounded too." It hadn't escaped Janet's notice at all. "Teal'c can keep an eye on the Colonel."

Daniel pouted but knew Janet well enough to know she meant what she'd said. They'd gotten engaged last month and were busy planning their own wedding, and she wouldn't be able to relax if she knew he was ignoring his own hurt; but unlike Jack and Sam there was no deadline to stick to for setting their wedding date, and he'd already moved in with her.

Teal'c acknowledged his duty with a silent dip of his head and waited for Jack to make the first move.

Jack took one last look at Sam before nodding, moving out of the room with the big Jaffa on his tail.

Janet watched him leave and turned back to Sam, ordering scans and tests, sending her team scuttling away in all directions to carry out her orders.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel was sitting on the side of the bed watching Janet stitch the gash in his arm. He'd been caught by a fragment of rock when enemy fire exploded against the stone building he was sheltering behind. He was explaining what had happened to Sam and the rest of the team. He'd seen Sam get hit and collapse. Jack had ordered the others to cover him so that he could get Sam to safety. He really didn't know how Jack had managed to get Sam back behind cover without getting hit.

"All done Daniel, you're free to go..."

The phone rang and a nurse answered it, calling for Janet when the person on the other end obviously asked for the doctor.

Janet walked calmly across the room, and held the phone to her ear.

The next thing Daniel knew, Janet was grabbing her bag and running from the room, yelling for her team and Daniel to follow her with a gurney.

She arrived at the locker room and was greeted by Teal'c who although outwardly calm, seemed disturbed.

"Where is he?"

"He remains in the shower stall Dr. Fraiser."

Janet rushed into the shower area and spotted the Colonel sitting slumped on the floor, a towel draped round his shoulders but his gaze was far away, looking spaced out.

"What's wrong with him Janet?" Daniel was all concern for his friend.

"He has been injured Dr. Fraiser. I have wrapped a clean towel round his shoulder. I apologise for not realising he was in need of medical attention until I found him in this condition."

"It's not your fault Teal'c. I don't even think he realised it. He's in shock. Let's get him to the infirmary."

TBC


	33. Epilogue part 2

_Here we are at the end guys! The very last chapter. I hope you all like it._

**NOTHING IS EVER THAT SIMPLE**

By LetitiaRichards

_Previously:-_

"It's not your fault Teal'c. I don't even think he realised it. He's in shock. Let's get him to the infirmary."

**Chapter 33 – Epilogue part 2**

Daniel sat on the hard chair between the two infirmary beds, Teal'c was standing sentinel over the foot of Jack's bed, while keeping watch over Sam too.

A groan from Jack alerted them to his waking moment.

"Jack?"

Jack forced his eyes open and blinked a few times to clear his vision. He recognised the infirmary, but the last time he checked, it was Sam that had been hurt, not him.

"Sam?"

"She's here Jack. Janet says she's gonna be fine." Daniel was quick to reassure his friend.

Jack sighed in relief, but then wanted to know why he was lying in bed. He tried to get up but an intense pain in his shoulder drove him to lie back again.

"What happened?"

"You were injured Jack. Janet had to fix your shoulder. It probably happened when you went after Sam. You went into shock and collapsed in the shower."

"Ugh!" Jack groaned, he could barely recall getting back to the SGC let alone anything that happened afterwards. He turned his head to the side so he could see Sam in the next bed; she was either still unconscious or asleep, he wasn't sure which.

"Colonel. How're you feeling?" Janet had sneaked up on him without him realising it and he almost leapt off the bed.

"Geesh Doc. Give a guy a heart attack will ya! You touting for patients here?" he complained breathlessly.

Daniel snorted and Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

"Apart from having a near heart attack Colonel, how are you?" Janet persisted ignoring the giggled amusement coming from her fiancé.

"I'm fine Doc. What about Sam?"

"She's fine Colonel. She woke up a little while ago, but couldn't stay awake. She was utterly exhausted. The head wound isn't anything to worry about, but I'll need to give her some medication for a while."

"Why?"

"Um boys if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to the Colonel alone." Her interruption and her words alone were enough to desperately worry Jack, and as soon as Daniel and Teal'c had left the room he pounced on her, pushing himself to sit up despite the pain and being hampered by the sling. He took a few tentative steps across to her bed and grasped Sam's hand in his, trying not to think that there was anything seriously wrong with her. Why else would Janet send the others from the room?

"Doc?"

Janet smiled widely, a knowing smile that said she knew something he obviously didn't.

"Colonel...Jack. I ran some regular tests and a couple of scans, and when Sam recovers I'll run some more scans to confirm the results, but all indications show that Sam is so tired because she's pregnant. Congratulations 'Dad'!"

Jack felt his knees turn to jello and gripped the side of the bed. His Sam was carrying his child? Already? He felt himself smile, a huge grin that stretched from ear to ear before the news really sank in.

"Really?" he asked when he'd recovered his senses and the past guilt consumed him.

"Absolutely," Janet confirmed.

"Crap?" he sighed, suddenly feeling frightened of the prospect of screwing this child's life up, and possibly Sam's too, just like he had with Sara and Charlie's.

"What?" Janet didn't like the look on Jack's face. He looked as if he'd lost a million dollars and found a dime.

"I blew it Doc. Last time I had a kid I..." he gulped down the fear and nausea. He felt vulnerable for the first time in years. "I don't know if I can..."

Janet understood then what he was so afraid of.

"Look, what happened back then was an accident Jack, and no way was it your fault. This time you'll just be more careful is all. Don't throw away this opportunity to make things right because of what went wrong in the past. Sam's lucky she got pregnant. After Jolinar I wasn't sure she could have any kids...don't make her regret this Jack. She loves you and I won't let you break her heart."

Jack hung his head in shame and embarrassment. He'd never revealed to anyone the deep seated fear inside from losing Charlie. Those were indeed dark days, and it was only Daniel's innocence, and earnest pleas that had brought him back from the brink of destruction.

"I've never known you to be a coward Jack. You've always faced adversity head one, don't change that now. For Sam's sake don't live in the past. This is a big opportunity for you to put that particular ghost to rest and make a brighter future. Not many people get a second Chance Jack. Heaven only knows why, but God's given that opportunity to you. Take it while you can. Sam needs to know this is something you want. For god's sake don't ruin her life just because you don't think you could be a father to your own child."

Janet wasn't furious, but her words were harsh and Jack felt the unfamiliar sting of tears. He knew she was right. He just wasn't good at keeping something like this from his heart. It had exposed the gaping wound that haunted him, and now Janet was telling him that it was alright because the skin had grown over that ugly scar and he would be okay now. He nodded then. If she believed he could do it, then...

"You can be a great dad Jack. I've seen you with Cassie, and with Tessa and Kayla. They all adore you. How much easier will that be with your own? I'm sure that if Charlie were around today he would agree that you were the best."

"We argued. Over some stupid water pistol. That's when he..."

"Cassie and I argue all the time Jack. It doesn't mean anything. It's what kids do. Did you never argue with your parents? 'Cos I guarantee you did at some stage. I can't imagine you being a saint."

"I guess." His lips twitched; she was right there, he was certainly no saint.

"Sam's never borne a child before Jack. She'll be second guessing herself and nervous about every little thing. That's one thing you can help her with. To quote your favourite cliché – been there and done that. I'll even buy you the damn T-shirt!"

Jack turned at Janet's words with a snort of laughter. He couldn't help but grin at her analogy. She was right. He could do this. He had been given another chance, and this time there was no way he would screw this up again. Sam would need him and he loved her so very much. He warmed to the idea and moved to enfold Janet into a one armed bear-hug, almost lifting her off her feet until she remonstrated him about his bad shoulder and that he should have been resting.

"Ya think I could?"

"I know you could!"

"Thanks Janet. I guess I was just...well, stunned, overawed, freaked a little at the news?"

"But you'll be okay with this?" Janet persisted, looking up into his dark eyes to see if the familiar confidence was back in place. It was.

"Sure Doc. Strike one for the power-mo... Oops!" Jack grimaced as he remembered not to finish the none too flattering moniker he labelled Janet with.

Janet glowered but couldn't help her lips twitch and she turned and left the room with a shake of her head, trying to keep the smile to herself.

"Sorry!" Jack called after her.

"You will be!" she called back over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.

"Crap!" Jack sighed. He looked down at Sam's sleeping figure and was rewarded by fluttering eyelashes, twitching fingers and a soft sigh.

"Hey!" he called softly, before leaning in to sweep a light kiss over Sam's lips.

"Jaaack?" Sam answered sleepily, squirming a little as she roused.

"What? Who else were you expecting to kiss you awake?" Jack sounded peeved and she opened her eyes wide at his tone, but then relaxed when she saw he was grinning.

"Idiot!" she said affectionately. It was then she noticed his arm resting inside the sling. "You're hurt!"

"And you're not?" he replied quickly, neatly avoiding the issue.

"I'm fine..."

"Ack!" Jack interrupted. "Don't say it Sam. I've spoken to Janet while you've been sleeping. I have to say that because of what she told me there is no way you are ever going through that Stargate again, at least not for a long time."

"What? What's wrong? You're kicking me off the team because of a little injury? Don't even think it flyboy," she warned with annoyance, warming to the subject of his sudden obsessiveness. She could well look after herself; how dare he go all macho on her now! She sat up too quickly and Jack had to reach out to steady her when the room spun round and she was in danger of falling from the bed.

"Hey. Take it easy." He grasped her in his good arm and she pushed him away.

"Jack. Just because I get injured on a mission that doesn't give you the right to bar me from leading my team through that gate. Don't you dare..."

Jack snorted with laughter in the face of her continued angry tirade and it stopped her in her tracks.

"Jack?" She sounded so confused that Jack took pity on her.

"I said I don't want you going through that gate for a long while, at least not until our child is old enough for a child minder. Or perhaps we can find a good Nanny."

"Our Child? I'm...I'm pregnant?" she gasped, her eyes as big as dishes.

Jack just gave her a lop-sided grin and nodded.

"Oh God Jack! I'm...we're gonna have a baby?" she looked aghast.

"Uh huh!"

Then Sam burst into tears and Jack quickly wrapped her in his arms as best he could still hampered by his injury. Her hormones were obviously wacko.

"'Cmon Sam. It's not that bad, is it?"

"I'm...I just...I've never...I don't know the first thing about kids Jack. I don't know if I can..."

"That's where I can help out Sam. It was a long time ago, but I guess it's like riding a bike... something you never forget. I'll be there for you Sam. I'm not risking you or the baby. I want this child to grow up."

"Oh Jack, I love you. Are you sure this is what you want though?"

"Sure. I love you Sam. I love everything about you and if that means sharing our lives and making a family then bring him on."

"Him? It might be a girl jack?"

"Nope. It's definitely a boy. It's an O'Neill tradition. Boys always come first."

"Not where the Carter's are concerned they don't. I'm older than Mark remember!"

"Well that's the Carter tradition. It may have escaped your notice but you're an O'Neill now, so it means that Sean Patrick O'Neill will arrive first."

"You have this all planned don't you?" She pulled back and folded her arms over her chest, frowning up at him.

"Of course!"

"Well, Mr. Know it all, Olivia Grace O'Neill will make her debut before Sean. I'm sure of it."

"She can't."

"Yes she can!"

"Can't

"Can!"

"Don't even try that on me. It's bad enough when Daniel does it." Jack wagged a finger at her in denial. He was so not getting into that game with her.

The door opened then and Janet came into the room holding a large brown folder, accidentally listening their little word game from the doorway when nobody had noticed her open it. She'd overheard every word. Mac bounded into the room in her wake and made a bee line for Jack who bend down and made a big fuss over him.

"How about both?"

Two heads swivelled round in surprise.

"What?" the gasped in union before turning to look at each other.

"I said, how about both. Congratulations you two. It's twins, and from what I can tell, it's one of each." She took the print outs of the scans to show them. "Due in just under six months time.

They were both right. Sean and Olivia would be born together.

Jack hugged Sam tighter as she cried softly into his shoulder. Mac leapt onto the bed eager to a part of this loving fest.

"You'll be fine, both of you! All of you!" Janet said before leaving them alone.

"I'll have to give up going off-world Jack. I want to anyway. There's no way I would be able to leave them too long with anyone else."

"I wasn't going to mention this because I'd already turned General Hammond down, but now... I think I'll take him up on his offer." Jack looked a little sheepish at his confession. He hadn't mentioned it before because he didn't want to consider it before, but now; well things are different. There was no way he could place himself in danger when Sam and his kids were waiting at home on him. He wouldn't do to his children what he and Sam had gone through by losing a parent.

"What offer Jack?" Sam demanded. He'd never mentioned any such offer to her.

"He said if and when you ever started a family, then he would put me up for promotion. It would mean the end of my going off world, but at least it would be safer for me and give me more of a chance to be with you more."

"Brigadier General O'Neill? Wow! I like the sound of that...sir!"

"Careful Colonel. That's... well, whatever. I'll be head of the SGC. Hammond will be moving on to Washington. It seems they've created a new position there. Hammond will be head of Home-World security at the pentagon and be directly responsible to the President. No middle men and no-one else to meddle with our funding. You think I could manage this end?" Jack asked, still a little doubtful; it was a desk job after all.

"I know you can Jack. You can do anything you put your mind too."

He wrapped her in his arms again and kissed her deeply.

"I love you Jack."

"Love you too; or three or four!" he smirked, the light of love in his eye as he looked at Sam and moved his eyes down her body to rest them on her tummy, whilst absently rubbing Mac's ears. Nobody could have been happier than they were at that point Everything was much simpler when it was surrounded by love and shared with someone special.

The End.

_Well, there you are folks. Another story finished. And yes, there is another one waiting in the wings. I hope you all enjoyed this story. Please let me know what it was you enjoyed the most about it. I would love to know, so that it will help me know what to include in future stories._

_Thank you to everyone who has read this and especially to those of you who reviewed it too. I really do appreciate your time and effort and all your wonderful comments. They've truly amazed me! Thanks!_


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